Huffman
AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - Following the lead of Texas Gov. Rick Perry in support of a loser pays tort reform initiative, two state legislators have filed bills that could make the reforms a reality.
Under a loser pays system, a losing plaintiff would be required to pay the court costs of the defendants when a court determines that a lawsuit is groundless or a jury determines a suit is frivolous.
State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Southside Place, and State Rep. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, submitted their bill proposals on March 11.
"The lawsuit reforms we won in 2003 played a major role in the strength of our economy, and it is time for the next phase of reform, which is a 'loser pays' system that provides added protections for innocent people fraudulently targeted by frivolous suits," Rep. Creighton said to Texas Insider about a week before filing HB 274. "A 'loser pays' reform is necessary to ensure the integrity of our civil justice system so that innocent parties on both sides are protected."
Texans for Lawsuit Reform applauded the governor's "tort reform package."
To view the entire article, visit the Southeast Texas Record.