A Glimmer of Hope for Legal Reform?
Is there hope?
A year ago, CJAC urged legislators to focus in the area of civil justice on making changes to hold down litigation costs and send a message that California was improving its legal climate and was becoming a more attractive place to do business.
Little or nothing happened on that score.
But this year the Legislature got off to a better start, as far as civil litigation goes. Faced with likely defeat, Assembly Member Marty Block pulled without a vote a bill (AB 989) before the Assembly Insurance Committee that would have let private lawyers become self-deputized vigilantes and go after insurance companies to get damages and – no surprise – attorney’s fees. It would allow lawsuits against insurers by anyone alleging to be harmed – including people who aren’t even policyholders.