Full story in Legal Newsline

By Chris Dickerson

WASHINGTON – A new documentary aims to shine a light on what happens when American citizens are victimized by the personal injury lawsuit system.

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PACT Executive Director Lauren Zelt says the documentary is important because the three people highlighted are important.

“No one should have to suffer because they are simply trying to access our legal system,” Zelt told Legal Newsline. “PACT was created to protect consumers while ensuring fair access to the justice system for all.

“Unfortunately, Americans are harmed every day by the ambulance-lawyer mill that leaves them worse off than they were before an incident occurred. These types of stories have become all too common in the United States.” 

The documentary follows Debra, a mother from Illinois who was seriously injured in a car accident and says her personal injury lawyer took her settlement. It also tells the story of Jeff, a consultant from Texas who describes how, after his car accident, his personal injury lawyer took control of his medical care, sending him to what he believes were needless appointments to inflate the size of his lawyer’s payday.

And it examines the broader impact of the personal injury system through Dave, a business owner from Texas who says an influx of personal injury lawsuits drove up his insurance costs and forced him to lay off staff. He says he now worries about whether he can stay in business.

“If you own a commercial business, you’re gonna get sued … sooner or later,” Dave says in the documentary.

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“Moreover, lawsuit abuse impacts every American, costing the average family over $4,200 per year.”

In addition to the general public learning more about the system, Zelt said she hopes lawmakers see the documentary as well.

“We hope that legislators across the country see this documentary so they can better understand the devastating impact of lawsuit abuse on families in their own communities,” she said.

Zelt said the documentary will be shown at PACT’s inaugural summit this winter. And she says anyone who has a lawsuit abuse story to share can reach out to PACT on its website.