MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A liberal interest group in California charged Wednesday that calls for "tort reform" are part of a broad-based right-wing political agenda.
The Commonweal Institute, whose Website identifies it as a progressive interest group, said its report, "The Attack on Trial Lawyers and Tort Law," documents efforts to "weaken progressive causes and politicians that trial attorneys tend to support."
The phrase tort reform is often used to describe any effort to make personal injury lawsuits more difficult to file or to reduce personal injury lawsuit awards, it said.
Commonweal said that terms like "frivolous lawsuits," "out of control lawsuits," and "greedy lawyers" are well-tested phrases used by tort reform proponents to manipulate public opinion.
The group particularly criticized President Bush for using "frivolous lawsuits" twice in Tuesday night's State of the Union speech.
"Reporters and the public should be aware that there is self-interest and political motivation behind this movement to change tort laws," wrote the report's author, David C. Johnson.
"A leading conservative, Grover Norquist, openly stated that even modest tort reform would defund trial lawyers, whom conservatives see as one of the major funding sources for Democrats."
