“Lawsuits are good for America”

Ralph Nader has an article on tort law entitled "Suing for Justice – Your lawsuits are good for America" in April's edition of Harper's Magazine. His conclusion:

We are at a moment in our legal history at which the tort system, built over the course of a century in courts of law by tens of thousands of plaintiffs, is in need of saving. We could have the best system of tort law in the world, but we need to restore what has been lost and keep pace with changes in our society. New technologies fraught with risk — such as robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and nanotechnology — presently provide no statutory safeguards to speak of. Only the common law of torts can hold the negligent sellers of these technologies accountable. What tort lawyers must do is decide to recognize the remarkable resilience of the few citizen groups and victim-advocacy organizations, and work to greatly expand their number in every state….

… This country is unique in having a marvelous right to trial by jury that has been lauded historically by left and right, from Thomas Jefferson to Winston Churchill to William Rehnquist. That right now requires a most robust defense.

The full article is here.

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