[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2377]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          CLASS ACTION REFORM

  (Mr. PRICE of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, not too long ago, our Nation's 
courts were a place where Americans were able to seek justice. Today, 
however, the system has become a playground for personal injury trial 
lawyers as they file sham, abusive cases in lawsuit-friendly counties. 
And all too often the attorneys collect multimillion-dollar settlements 
for themselves, while their clients, the real victims, get left with 
nothing more than a coupon, often worth nothing more than the paper 
upon which it is printed.
  Recently, a large national video rental chain, after being named in 
23 class-action lawsuits, agreed to provide consumers in the lawsuit 
with dollar coupons, and attorneys in this case received over $9 
million.
  Even more outrageous is the case where consumers were awarded 33 
cents each in a settlement with a well-known national bank, not even 
enough to buy a stamp, while attorneys in the case walked away with $4 
million.
  Mr. Speaker, this amount of money distorts the incentives for 
personal injury lawyers. They no longer represent their clients; they 
become coplaintiffs. It is past time we did something about it. That is 
why we should return commonsense justice to the American people by 
passing S.5, The Class Action Fairness Act.

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