Patricia Hatamyar on The Effect of “Tort Reform” on Case Filings
Professor Patricia W. Hatamyar (Oklahoma City Univ.) has posted on SSRN her article, The Effect of ‘Tort Reform’ on Tort Case Filings, 43 Valparaiso Univ. L. Rev. (forthcoming 2009). Here’s the abstract:
An empirical study of the number and types of different tort cases filed in Oklahoma state courts from 2003 – 2007. While numerous measures of so called ‘tort reform’ passed the Oklahoma legislature prior to 2003, advocates of ‘tort reform’ continue to press for more. The study finds that there was a 17.5% decrease in the number of tort clases (claiming over $10,000) filed, from 6,764 such cases in 2003 to 5,576 cases in 2007. During the same time period, the number of all civil cases over $10,000 filed increase 4%. The data suggest that the measures passed before 2003 negatively affected tort case filings, and that future measures may be unwarranted.