‘Lawsuit abuse’ is not the problem

Phil Melin is again pushing false claims that Illinois faces excessive “lawsuit abuse,” relying on long-standing talking points from insurance lobbyists rather than actual data (An affordability target: lawsuit abuse, March 31).

The notion that personal injury lawsuits are driving up costs for everyone — a so-called “hidden tax,” as Melin put it — is nothing more than a misleading marketing slogan pushed by corporate front groups aiming to enable companies to avoid paying a price for hurting people.

The analysis he refers to has been criticized by economists, consumer advocates and legal experts for using nontransparent methods and speculative assumptions. It does not reflect actual costs paid by residents, and it is not supported by independent data. Repeating this exercise year after year does not make its purported findings any truer.

There is no evidence of lawsuit abuse in Illinois. Civil filings have fallen by 61% over the past decade. In Cook and Madison counties, places often singled out by groups like Melin’s, those numbers have dropped 61% and 41%, respectively, over the same period.

Meanwhile, large corporations and insurance companies continue to post record-breaking profits year after year, even as they steadily raise prices on the very products and coverage that everyday Illinoisans rely on. Families are paying more for basic necessities, while corporate balance sheets grow stronger. This widening gap raises serious questions about who is truly driving up costs and whether the burden is being unfairly shifted onto working households rather than absorbed by companies that can clearly afford it.

Rising costs for food, gas, electricity and insurance are affecting every state, including those with weaker legal protections. It is misleading to blame Illinois’ civil justice system for a nationwide issue.

Timothy J. Cavanagh, President

Illinois Trial Lawyers Association