Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Commends Lawmakers Efforts to End Lawsuit Abuse

A major reform to Pennsylvania's legal system has been approved by the state House by a 112-88 vote.

House Bill 1, also known as the "Fair Share Act," ensures that defendants in lawsuits pay their fair share of monetary damages instead of the entire award of damages. Pennsylvania is one of only nine states without a "Fair Share Act" on the books.

"This simple, reasonable and responsible lawsuit abuse reform will help put an end to deep pocket frivolous lawsuits and is a necessity if we want to improve Pennsylvania's economic and health care climate," said House Majority Leader Mike Turzai. "The current system is susceptible to abuse by plaintiff lawyers seeking co-defendants with deep pockets such as large employers, hospitals or state and local governments."

The Fair Share Act eliminates joint liability for defendants in civil cases found to be less than 60 percent liable and implements a system of comparative responsibility in which a defendant is responsible for paying only his fair share of the damages, according to Turzai.

"That means if a party is responsible for 10 percent of the fault, that party would be accountable for paying only 10 percent of the total award. Under current law, the doctrine of joint and several liability establishes that a defendant in a multi-defendant civil case may be required to pay damages associated with the actions of its co-defendants."

All but three of the 112 Republicans in the House voted yes on HB 1 and they were joined by three Democrats to pass it.

HB 1, sponsored by Rep. Curt Schroder of Chester County now goes to the Senate for approval. Gov. Tom Corbett promised while campaigning last year to sign a lawsuit abuse reform bill if the Legislature sends it to him.

PA State Rep. Curt Schroder - Schroder's Fair Share Act Wins House Approval

The Foundation for Fair Civil Justice has a little fun each year by conducting its Wacky Warning Labels Contest.

The contest is designed to both entertain and alarm the nation about "the lawsuit-happy culture and the lengths to which companies must go to avoid lawsuits," according to the Foundation.

Here are the winners of the 13th annual Wacky Warning Labels Contest, selected by the studio audience for "Stossel" on FOX Business Network:

-- This year's Grand Prize Winner is "Never operate your speakerphone while driving," a warning attached to the Jabra "Drive 'N' Talk" speakerphone for use with a mobile cell phone.

The label was submitted by Courtney Pike of Bay City, Michigan, who wins the $1,000 grand prize and a copy of Wacky Warning Labels Contest host Bob Dorigo Jones' bestselling book, "Remove Child Before Folding: 101 Stupidest, Silliest and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever."

-- The Second Prize Winner is "This product moves when used," a warning attached to a Razor motorized go-cart.

-- The Third Prize Winner is "Use of a headset that covers both ears will impair your ability to hear other sounds," a warning on the Plantronics Bluetooth full headset.

"Once a year, millions of people around the world get a collective laugh from our winners," said Bob Dorigo Jones, Senior Fellow at Foundation for Fair Civil Justice. "The truth is, this is no laughing matter. In fact, every family of four in America pays a 'litigation tax' of more than $9,000 a year on products and services we buy."

For more about the contest or the group's work, check out its website at www.foundationforfairciviljustice.org