Trial lawyers use mass mailings and other means to automatically force you into a class action lawsuit, unless you explicitly reply, opting out. Normally, we would applaud such enterprising behavior. After all, our country was founded on free enterprise and the entrepreneurial spirit. But the majority of these class-action lawyers damage our economy, while benefiting no one but themselves. Injured class members do not fully benefit, businesses are hurt, and the rest of us are forced to pay.
Businesses have no choice but to pass class action costs onto consumers.
Right now the Senate is considering a measure, S. 353, that may rein in runaway class action lawsuits. The legislation would make it easier to get class-actions moved out of state courts and into federal courts, which are more consistent in their decisions to certify a class, and are better equipped to handle these cases fairly. The House passed similar legislation last year. The Senate needs to reform class actions throughout the United States. The reforms found in S. 353 are needed to ensure that the class action lawsuit remains a valued option to provide justice, rather than providing a cash cow for plaintiffs attorneys.