
Governor signs law on punitive damages, merchandising act
Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed into law reforms to the state’s punitive damages system, writes John Breslin for the St. Louis Record.
Governor Mike Parson signed into law changes to the legal make that was championed by business leaders and tort reform advocates.
Punitive damages will be awarded only if the plaintiff proves by “clear and convincing evidence that the defendant intentionally harmed the plaintiff without just cause or acted with a deliberate and flagrant disregard for the safety of other,” according language of SB 591.
Plaintiffs also cannot include a claim for punitive damages in an initial filing and must put forward some evidence before a judge will decide whether it can be added.
…
“Gov. Parson’s signature on S.B. 591 is a win for Missourians who suffer the effects of lawsuit abuse and sends a strong signal to those bad actors who would abuse the system ” Tiger Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), told the St. Louis Record in a statement.
Latest News
View all news
Third Circuit Ruling Blocks Bankruptcy Proceedings for LTL Management
The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) is disappointed to learn that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled against LTL Management, LLC in a case regarding the […]
Trial lawyers target agriculture products in ‘Judicial Hellholes’
This op-ed was originally published by Agri-Pulse. Mass tort litigation has become a multi-billion-dollar industry for trial lawyers over the past several decades as they’ve targeted everything from tobacco and […]
Gov. DeSantis Signs Key Legal Reform Bill In Florida
SB 2-A to improve FL property insurance; addresses assignment of benefits, one way attorney fee shifting, third-party bad faith
ATRA Brief Calls on SCOTUS to Review Near Limitless Per Violation Civil Penalties
Arbitrary, excessive punishments result from lack of clarity under some laws
Frivolous ‘No-Injury’ Lawsuits Thrive in California
State ranked No. 3 among worst ‘Judicial Hellholes’ in nation with residents paying $1,900 per year in ‘tort tax’
Endless Coastal Litigation Creates Climate of Lawsuit Abuse in ‘Judicial Hellhole’ Louisiana
Residents pay ‘tort tax’ of more than $1,010 amid all-time high inflation