WILLIAMS PRAISES PASSAGE OF ‘FAIR SHARE’

HARRISBURG, June 13, 2002 -- State Sen. Connie H. Williams today applauded Senate passage of the Fair Share Act, lifting the burden of unfair damages from Pennsylvania businesses.

"Pennsylvania should not be left behind as the nation fixes its tort system," Williams said. "This will be an important step toward improving the state’s economic climate."

The Fair Share measure (Senate Bill 1089) prevents a defendant found by a jury to be only fractionally responsible for damages from paying the entire judgment simply because he had the deepest pockets.

Under the measure, defendants found to be less than 60 percent liable will be responsible only for their share of the claim. Under the previous law, defendants found liable for even a tiny fraction of the damages might have been forced to pay the entire judgment if other defendants were bankrupt, or failed to carry insurance.

The Fair Share bill was supported by Pennsylvania’s business community, particularly hospitals which have been hit with $180 million in additional liability insurance premiums in the past year.

Williams said finding a fair solution to the liability crisis was difficult, but particularly important to southeast Pennsylvania, where medical firms fuel a large part of the economy.

"It was a long, hard process," she said. "But I’ve always felt that it needed to be done. It’s not fair that someone who might be one percent responsible might pay out a large share of a judgment."

The bill now goes back to the House for concurrence.