Civil Lawsuit Reform, Searches

Re “Lawsuit Reform: Justice Delayed,” editorial, Oct. 23:

As a small business owner, I could provide The Times with daily examples of lawyers who have extorted huge settlements out of businesses which may only have “committed” simple negligence or not been negligent at all. But they settle to avoid higher costs and potentially an even greater loss at the hands of a jury.

Small business owners in California should urge the state Legislature to pass significant civil justice reforms. The survival of my business and many businesses just like it is at stake.

DANIEL DALTON

Signal Hill

*

* With so many wasteful and frivolous lawsuits filed in our courts each day, the unfortunate result is that we the public--individually and collectively--all pay and we all lose. We pay for rising health care costs and consumer items strictly due to skyrocketing malpractice and liability insurance due to fraud, unnecessarily imposed litigation and outrageous damage awards--a “lawsuit tax.” We also pay more in overall economic costs because so many wasteful lawsuits result in too many lost jobs and business closings.

This plague of lawsuit abuse is choking the court system in California, causing outrageous delays on those cases which have merit but unfortunately cannot be heard in an appropriate period of time. We need reform that prevents lawsuit abuse, and preserves the public’s legitimate right to sue.

BILL BLOOMFIELD, Chairman

Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse

Torrance

*

* Regarding “Are Searches in Civil Cases Also Violating Rights?” Oct. 23: I applaud the fact that artists, designers, inventors, digital programmers and all others actively working in creative endeavors finally have the possibility of putting a stop to the continuous copyright violations perpetrated by those who frequently and intentionally infringe on the rights of creators of original works with the knowledge that these creators usually do not have the financial means to sustain the lengthy and costly legal actions that are necessary for the protection of their rights.

The “ex parte search” as described in your article seems a fitting means of dealing with all companies and individuals who fraudulently appropriate the work of others in order to use it illegally for their own financial profit.

FRANCESCA GARCIA-MARQUES

Marina del Rey