According to a report a couple of years back, every neurosurgeon in Washington, D.C., has been sued. So have between 70 and 80 percent of obstetricians. They even sued the company that made the slot machines in the hotel casino. Fear of lawsuits paralyzes whole areas of commerce, medicine, recreation and family life. Frequently sued organizations and persons all too often become bureaucratic and adversarial, having learned to see each new customer as a potential opponent.
Employers stop giving candid job references.
Owners post country land against hunters and hikers. Parents locked in custody battles feel imprisoned in their jobs and routines, lest the opponent seize on any nonconformity and run to court with it. Yet things could be different. They try to make litigants think twice before pressing a weak case or defense - most notably, by requiring the losing side to reimburse the winner's legal fees at the end of a case. And they take care to keep law as a profession that tempers the zealous pursuit of courtroom victories with ideals of honor and scrupulous impartiality.