This document discusses the importance of access to courts in holding corporations accountable for wrongdoing and protecting consumers. It argues that tort litigation provides an important check on corporate abuse when regulations are insufficient. Specifically, it provides examples of how lawsuits revealed safety issues and failures that resulted in injuries and deaths, forced compensation of victims, and in some cases led to criminal investigations and improved safety standards. Removing access to courts through tort reform reduces corporate liability and accountability, leaving many victims without justice.

1. Getting Justice: Why Access to Courts is a Critical Check on Corporate Abusers June 9, 2007 Laura MacCleery www.citizen.org www.thewatchdogblog.org

3. How Most of Us See It

4. And the More Things Change…

8. George Bush vs. The Facts The number of medical malpractice payments declined 15.4 percent between 1991 and 2005. Average annual payments declined 8 percent over the same period.

10. Doctor Discipline is Lax Only 33.26 percent of doctors who made 10 or more malpractice payments were disciplined by their state board – two-thirds of these egregious repeat offenders went undisciplined. For example, Physician Number 35454 had at least 18 malpractice payments between 1991 and 2005, 12 times for improper performance of surgery, twice for improper management of surgery, once for equipment problems during surgery, once for failure to obtain consent for surgery, once for an unnecessary surgical procedure, and once for an unspecified surgical error. The total damages were $8,237,500.

12. Access Improving: A Decreasing Number of Counties Lack Ob/Gyn We also found that the number of ob-gyns per woman of child-bearing age in the United States has grown significantly over the past decade. - Public Citizen report, February 2007

17. Regulatory Failure: Roof Crush This Ford E-250 would comply with a 2005 proposed new federal standard for roof crush strength, yet its occupant, Reverend Lawrence Harris, became a quadriplegic in a rollover. Rev. Harris is able to continue working for his church due to compensation from his settlement.

21. On March 23, 2005, the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, exploded, killing 15 people and injuring 170 others. The explosion was the worst U.S. workplace accident in 16 years. Company e-mails showed the company had known of safety problems for more than two years before the explosion.