‘Spurious Lawsuits’

Enough is enough! It’s time the public is made aware of the cost of spurious lawsuits. To even consider that a child can sue his parent(s) for education is totally ludicrous! This is a waste of the taxpayers’ time and money as anyone who has ever had to travel every morning to downtown Los Angeles for jury duty can attest to.

It’s bad enough that the public is unaware of how their verdicts are apportioned. People wonder why their insurance rates are so high.

Take for example the recent verdict against the City of Los Angeles, (Times, March 8). Granted that the plaintiff was injured. In this case the city was found 22% liable. However, since the primarily guilty party was uninsured, the city gets stuck holding the bag for the entire $2 million-plus verdict. This is merely an example of the joint and several laws that let those who are responsible, but uncollectable or uninsured, get off without paying for their negligence.

This, to me, is unconscionable.

The public should be made aware that the many pay for the few. The courts are glutted with spurious lawsuits. Many lawsuits are filed with no basis and the only ones who benefit are the lawyers, who are either employed to defend or pursue this abuse of process.

The time has definitely come for lawsuits of a new gender: malicious prosecution!

If we could only get a few judges and juries with some guts, rendering verdicts in favor of those wronged by malicious, unjustified litigation, then we would all benefit by less crowded court calendars. Then those who really need the courts would have due and expedient process. The ones who pay for the large verdicts and legal fees are eventually, “we the people.”

PEGGY FILIPPONE

Rowland Heights