The American Tort Reform Association has once again labeled Louisiana as a “Judicial Hellhole,” this year ranking the state at No. 5.
Louisiana has been included in the rankings for the past seven years, fluctuating between the No. 2 spot in 2013 to No. 8 in 2017.
The organization labeled Louisiana as one such hellhole this year due to the costly combination of former plaintiffs’ attorney Gov. John Bel Edwards’ “aggressive litigation agenda,” the plaintiff-friendly Legislature, and “inescapable advertising practices” by the plaintiffs’ bar.
The American Tort Reform Association was founded in 1986 and is classified as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit. Its membership is made up largely of Fortune 500 companies, according to the Center for Justice and Democracy’s fact sheet on the organization. Its annual “Judicial Hellhole” list ranks cities and states alike for their legal climate.
This year’s report claims the impact of “excessive tort costs” on the Louisiana economy amounts to estimated losses of $1.1 billion in annual direct costs and $1.5 billion in output (gross product) annually, according to the report. Read the full report here.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated since its original publication to show that Louisiana is ranked at No. 5 on the list, not No. 4. Daily Report regrets the error.
