WASHINGTON, D.C.— Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, made the following statement today applauding Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin for signing into law Senate Bill 404, strong bipartisan legislation which will prevent abusive “double dip” claims against businesses and personal injury trust funds, including asbestos victims’ compensation funds:
“This law will go a long way toward eliminating fraud in litigation, discouraging improper ‘double dipping’ by plaintiffs’ lawyers, and ensuring that companies and bankruptcy trusts both pay their fair share to claimants. It will also protect jobs by ensuring that Oklahoma companies are not unfairly bankrupted by fraudulent claims.
“We hope Oklahoma’s leadership will embolden elected officials in other states to pass similar laws to ensure that their states’ tort systems work together, where needed, with personal injury trust funds to fairly compensate victims.
“We commend Governor Fallin for swiftly signing this bill into law, and we also commend Senator Clark Jolley and Representative Fred Jordan, the co-authors of SB 404, for their leadership on this important issue.”
ILR seeks to promote civil justice reform through legislative, political, judicial, and educational activities at the national, state, and local levels.
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