Class Action Lawsuits and Lawyers

(29) Over time, the targets of asbestos suits have expanded from the original manufacturers of asbestos-related products to include customers who may have used those products in their facilities. According to RAND, the total number of defendants in asbestos litigation rose from 300 in 1982 to more than 6,000 in 2000.(30) Recent data show no growth in the total number of medical malpractice tort claims, but the size of awards has increased. Median payments for medical malpractice claims at trial rose from about $100,000 in 1990 to over $300,000 in 2001, according to the Physician Insurers Association of America.
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Attorneys and Legal Information

) Finally, Tillinghast estimates self-insured costs (again, except for medical malpractice) on the basis of various specialized studies. Because of a lack of data, the estimates exclude awards and settlements that cannot be insured in particular states (such as those for contract and shareholder litigation or for punitive damages) and certain extraordinary self-insured costs, such as those of the tobacco settlements.
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Attorneys and Legal Information

The Costs of the Tort System The efficiency of the tort system is difficult to measure because information about its benefits is so sparse. In particular, data on the damages avoided because of additional precaution are not readily available.
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