DAVID S. CASEY JR.
President
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Washington, D.C.

Response to the "The buckraking trial lawyer" article (San Diego Union-Tribune January 23, 2004)

Joseph Perkins quotes part of my statement in response to the president's State of the union speech. Unfortunately, he quoted only selectively.

What Perkins supports is taking away the legal rights of American families certainly not "reforms." Rather, they are blatant payoffs to the insurance, tobacco, drug, chemical and other special interests that have spent billions of dollars to avoid being held accountable for their actions.

Perkins cites a few questionable statistics and polls as proof that the American people want so-called "tort reform" the same numbers that were bought and paid for by the corporate special interests. Moreover, the industries he cites as being destroyed by class-action suites include asbestos manufacturers, tobacco companies and makers of silicone breast implants. As of today, deadly asbestos is still legal in the United States and still killing people; people are still smoking too many cigarettes; and the implant makers are seeking re-approval by the FDA. Industries destroyed? I don't think so.

The truth is that these corporate wrongdoers must not be allowed to get away with knowingly killing thousands of American consumers. They must be held accountable for their bad acts, and trial lawyers help injured Americans do just that every day.

Now, that's the truth about "tort reform."