New York’s legal system needs reform
At a time when New York can use all of the savings it can get, legislators in Albany continue to ignore desperately needed reforms in the state’s legal system.
Granted, it’s a pipe dream to believe lawmakers will act during the current special session, but now’s a good time to put legal reforms on their 2010 legislative agenda.
Specifically, New York must do something about the high cost of lawsuits and high-tort litigation risks. They’re costing taxpayers millions of dollars in higher taxes and increased costs for goods, insurance and health care.
Those were the findings in a new study conducted by Pacific Research Institute, a nationally known research firm, which also concluded that New York’s legal system is the third worst in the nation.
Actually, none of this is new. But lawmakers, particularly the state Assembly, which is heavily influenced by trial lawyers and led by Speaker Sheldon Silver, a trial lawyer himself, have for years refused to budge.
With New York facing budget deficits totaling nearly $40 billion over the next few years, changes in the legal system, which is heavily weighted in favor of trial lawyers, have become imperative. After all, such reforms could substantially lower the cost of government, spur construction activity, lower health care costs and make the state more attractive to do business.
New York currently is the only state in the nation that holds contractors solely responsible for any fall-related injury at a work site. Incredibly, that’s even if the worker is completely responsible. This law alone has raised the cost of general liability insurance by up to 600 percent and has driven more than a few builders out of business.
This situation is another reason why New Yorkers are Fed Up with Albany. Lawmakers must start acting in their interest.
