When President Bush signed the Class Action Fairness Act into law Feb. 18, saying it “marks a critical step toward ending the lawsuit culture in our country,” Republicans and Democrats alike applauded after three years of intense debate in Congress about the rights of businesses and consumers. It remains to be seen, however, whether that temporary bipartisan bonhomie was premature.
Some legal experts believe the legislation will end the plethora of multi-state class action lawsuits in so-called “judicial hellholes,” such as Madison County, Ill., and Barbara County, Ala., where juries return huge verdicts and judges approve settlements that are favorable to the plaintiffs’ lawyers but don’t leave much for class members.
