HARRISBURG, Pa., April 26, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry today commended this week's Pennsylvania Supreme Court Decision to help protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits by allowing judges to penalize any one that files a frivolous lawsuit. At the same the time, the Commonwealth's largest broad-based business association once again urged members of the General Assembly to do their part by passing the Fair Share Act (SB-1376) which would abolish the antiquated legal doctrine of Joint and Several Liability.
"As Pennsylvania's archaic civil justice system now stands, an individual or organization that might bear 1% of the responsibility for an injury may be held responsible for 100% of the damages," said PA Chamber President Floyd Warner. "Passage of the Fair Share Act would finally establish responsibility for paying one's total share of damages based on one's share of liability and no more. Although the Pennsylvania Chamber commends the state Supreme Court for this important decision, it would be premature for anyone to assume that our work to bring a broader sense of fairness to our legal system, which would benefit all Commonwealth citizens in terms of sustained economic growth and job creation, is over."
Current Pennsylvania law states that a company found even 1% liable in a civil suit can be held 100% financially responsible. The result is that litigants often go after companies with "deep pockets" putting Pennsylvania at a severe economic disadvantage with regard to attracting, creating and retaining jobs. If passed into law the Fair Share Act would replace Joint and Several Liability with Proportional Liability under which defendants found to be at fault would only be held liable for their proportionate share of the damages. For more information about the need for lawsuit abuse reform in Pennsylvania visit www.protectPAjobs.com.
With over 10,000 members representing every county in the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state's largest broad-based business association and the fastest-growing state chamber in the United States.