Sec. Gutierrez Blasts Tort Lawsuits

Congress Daily reported that Commerce Secretary Gutierrez, in a speech at the US Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform, referred to a "resurgent plaintiffs' bar" and called for a curb on tort lawsuits, "claiming that a hostile legal environment threatens foreign investment in the United States." He cited a new Commerce report indicating tort costs as a percentage of US gross domestic product are double or triple those of various other countries. "The American Association of Justice...discounted Gutierrez's remarks, saying many business surveys have found fear of litigation ranks low in the concerns for manufacturers and small-business owners and that state tort trials have decreased over the last decade." Ray De Lorenzi, AAJ spokesman, noted that foreign companies "have to follow our laws and be held accountable if they are reckless or negligent." No argument from us there.