NCJ Number
143165
Journal
Justice System Journal Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: special issue (1993) Pages: complete issue
Editor(s)
R A Hanson,
B J Ostrom,
D B Rottman
Date Published
1993
Length
178 pages
Annotation
The origin, processing, and consequences of lawsuits seeking compensation for a wide range of alleged harms remain lively topics of public debate and discussion, and this special journal issue looks at the importance of tort litigation to judges, court managers, and legal practitioners.
Abstract
The focus on tort litigation encompasses two themes pervading the civil justice system: (1) the United States is uniquely afflicted by excessive legalism and litigation; and (2) increased litigation represents a departure from the past in which society was self-regulating. Presentations in the special issue examine malpractice misconceptions and other lessons about the litigation system, jury deliberation in tort litigation cases, product liability verdicts in six California counties, tort awards in State courts, product liability cases on appeal, and the civil liability system. An empirical study is presented that demonstrates the impact of State tort reform of punitive damages on product liability. Central legal policy issues surrounding the performance of the civil justice system are also discussed. References, footnotes, tables, and figures