Full Story in Dome Politics.

Protecting Americans Consumers Together (PACT) is a legal reform advocacy group that is looking to make the legal system more affordable, accessible, and transparent for everyday Americans. Lauren Zelt, PACT’s Executive Director, spoke to Dome Politics regarding the advocacy group’s mission concerning legal (especially “tort”) reform.

These reforms, PACT believes, will save Americans upwards of hundreds or thousands of dollars on legal fees per citizen in some states.

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When asked what is currently the main problem with the legal system, Director Zelt shared that the system is “unaccountable and unethical at times” and that PACT is working to address these problems through the state and federal legislatures.

“PACT really has a core mission that has three specific elements to it,” began Zelt. “The first is protecting consumers; we believe very strongly that Americans deserve to be able to access a fair and transparent legal system and have confidence that they won’t be exploited. Unfortunately, the current system is unaccountable and unethical at times, and people who are often accessing the legal system for the first time get taken advantage of. At PACT, we’re trying to stop that practice from happening.”

With Florida having already addressed tort reform in the last few years and Georgia making it a priority, we asked Zelt if legal abuse is most egregious in the Southeast, or if it’s nationwide.

Zelt shared that it’s a state-by-state, case-by-case basis, with states like Nevada, California, and South Carolina recently throwing their hat in the legal reform ring. She also shared that federal efforts could be on the horizon as well.

“Candidly, President Trump campaigned on lowering prices for all Americans, and Americans across the country are facing a hidden tax from exorbitant legal fees that are kind of baked into the system overall,” said Zelt. “So, it’s possible that we will have advocacy efforts at the federal level. And honestly, if President Trump wants to save consumers money, tort reform would be a very good place to start.”

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Finally, PACT’s Executive Director mentioned that she hopes Georgia follows in Florida’s footsteps and enacts reforms to save Peach State residents money.

“What we’re hoping for at PACT is for Georgia to follow the lead that Florida set last year and pass lawsuit abuse reform into law this year so that regular Georgia families can feel the same financial relief that Florida families are feeling today,” concluded Zelt.