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The United States is the most litigious nation in the history of the world. Instead of problem-solving or working out issues among ourselves, Americans are suing first and pondering the consequences later.
What no one is taking responsibility for is the economic effect of so many lawsuits, which is devastating. If you want to do something about government deficits, the economy, the cost of insurance, and even the cost of consumer products, just stay out of court.Some people think the courtroom is the proper place to take any beef, no matter how petty, embarrassing, or absurd. According to the editors at Overlawyered.com, litigation too often acts as a weapon against the guilty and the innocent alike. It erodes individual responsibility and enriches its participants at the public's expense. The message in the country right now seems to be that if something bad happens to you, it must be someone else's fault, and you must be owed financial compensation.
This idea is not only ridiculous, it affects all of us. Our society has become so sue-happy that the average federal district judge fields 400 new cases a year. With dockets so clogged with junk, it can take years for legitimate cases to wend their way through the courts. Justice delayed is justice denied.
All of these lawsuits hit our wallets, too. Insurance premiums skyrocket as everyone scrambles to cover their behinds, court costs rise, and astronomical settlements depress corporate earnings and stock values. According to a White House Council of Economic Advisers estimate, the United States suffers an excessive "litigation tax" of $136 billion per year. Other experts put that figure even higher. Meanwhile, personal injury lawyers -- whose smiling faces are visible everywhere on ads encouraging us to join the lawsuit parade -- are laughing all the way to the bank.
So the next time your neighbor mows over your flowerbeds, you trip and fall at the supermarket, or you find yourself the victim of a practical joke gone wrong, remember that you are an adult. You don't need a judge to act as a parent and work out every dispute you encounter. Think about whether you've really been harmed or are just annoyed, and then try to work things out with the other party. Society shouldn't have to pay for silly accidents, petty grievances, and impetuous finger-pointing.
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