Civil Justice System Works

Re “Lawyer’s Suit Fails, but Case Wins Award--for Looniness,” Dec. 9:

As a civil litigator, I’d go broke filing the so-called “loony lawsuits” Sarah Chaeure pretends are mucking up our courts and bankrupting taxpayers. Since contingency-fee attorneys only get paid if we win for our clients, we can’t win filing complaints that judges routinely toss out of court.

In fact, the civil justice system works. Most civil disputes are resolves by the litigants, lawyers and judges. Less than 4% of cases actually need a jury trial.

It’s part of the glory of this country that ordinary people have access to justice. That means citizens have the right to file civil cases, if they’ve got the $182 filing fee. The system will judge each case on its merit. It’s an imperfect system, but can Chaeure think of a better one?

Would she somehow “pre-screen” potential litigants, with handpicked “wise men” who would evaluate individual complaints before they’re filed?

When Chaeure’s Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse attacks the civil justice system, they are sponsored by groups like the American Tort Reform Assn.--lobbyists for corporate interests who don’t want to be held accountable by ordinary people. They would rather have the cost of the harm they do be borne by the taxpayers, through Medi-Cal, welfare and private insurance.

BRUCE M. BRUSAVICH

President, Consumer Attorneys

Assn. of Los Angeles