CALmatters Commentary: California’s ‘tort wars’ flare up once again
Dan Walters: CALmatters Commentary
To Capitol insiders, the term “tort wars” is shorthand for decades of political wrangling over the rules governing lawsuits for personal injuries – who can sue and collect damages for which actions.
The rules are a mix of legislation and appellate court interpretations, and with untold billions of dollars at stake, lawyers who specialize in personal injury suits and their political allies, such as unions and consumer advocates, clash constantly with business groups and insurers.
The former seek to expand opportunities to sue and the latter resist such expansions and occasionally try to narrow the scope of liability.