Do state lawmakers need to rebrand tort reform?

Louisiana lawmakers have begun considering some creative rebranding to generate new support to curtail personal injury lawsuits, Louisiana Illuminator reports.

“It’s a three-alarm fire,” Louisiana House Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Johnson, R-Pineville, said during a House Insurance Committee hearing last week.

The hearing was the latest among a series of meetings by lawmakers to research the causes and potential solutions to the state’s property insurance crisis. While the crisis spans both home and vehicle insurance coverage, Tuesday’s hearing focused on the state’s vehicle coverage rates, which are the third highest in the nation, according to Bankrate. 

Lawmakers are still leaning toward a familiar legislative path to rein in personal injury lawsuits, and while previous efforts were referred to as “tort reform,” some legislators are considering whether a rebranding of efforts would help garner support in Louisiana. 

Some alternatives Johnson and others have floated include “lawsuit abuse reform” or “truth in payments.” 

“I just want it to be honest labeling so people understand what it is,” says Johnson, a lawyer who used to defend insurance companies. 

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