Jackpot Justice: The True Cost of America's Tort System

America’s state civil justice systems play an indispensable role in the success and prosperity of our country by serving as the primary forum in which disputes can be resolved fairly within the rule of law.

However, as this Pacific Research Institute (PRI) study points out, state civil justice systems create huge costs, many previously unexamined, that burden our state and national economies. The scope of these costs is so great that they threaten to undermine our future national prosperity and quality of life as we have known it.

Even without the specific dollar quantifications provided by PRI, many of us in leadership roles have known intuitively that state civil justice systems should not be allowed to unnecessarily burden economic growth. In Mississippi, we have enacted laws and implemented programs to strengthen our civil justice system. These initiatives have resulted in better financial and legal outcomes for both consumers and businesses.

Thanks to this in-depth economic analysis provided by PRI, everyone with a stake in state civil justice systems will now be able to consider more specifically what costs are generated by civil justice policies. These costs can now be viewed in light of their actual impact on state economic and social priorities including quality of medical care, availability of health insurance, consumer safety, job creation, and the attraction of investment capital.