(Sacramento) – Central California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CCCALA), furious with the self serving agenda of the state’s personal injury lawyer lobby, today delivered a tax bill for $30,420,000,000 to participants of the lawyer group’s “Lobby Day” taking place in Sacramento.  This sum represents the extra cost all Californians will pay this year thanks to the “lawsuit tax” placed on all goods and services.

“As the personal injury lawyers descend on Sacramento to lobby California’s Legislature today, Legislators need to know just how much lawsuit abuse increases the costs of goods and services for all of us,” said Diann Rodgers Executive Director of CCCALA.  “These lawyers are the ones responsible for this tax, so we think they should pay it!”

The total bill of $30,420,000,000 comes from a report by Tillinghast-Towers Perrin, which says each U.S. citizen pays $845 annually in a lawsuit tax cost.  The report bases this tax on three areas:  Benefits paid or expected to be paid to third parties, defense costs, and administrative expenses and is passed on to consumers through increased costs for goods and services.  CALA multiplied this figure by 36 million California residents to develop its tax bill. 

CALA holds the personal injury lawyers’ lobby responsible because of its extensive efforts, in and outside the Legislature, to promote a litigation lottery mentality in the state.  In addition to generous campaign contributions, the personal injury lawyer’s lobby substantially pushes for more ways to file lawsuits.  Ads for personal injury lawyers promise “big money for your injuries,” and encourage people to sue anyone for almost anything. 

“In addition to the lawsuit abuse that clogs courts, delays justice and threatens jobs, this lawsuit tax adds insult to injury,” Rogers says.  “It amounts to $3,380 for a family of four.  That could pay for more than 1,500 gallons of gas, 1,000 loaves of bread or 14 car payments.  Californian’s shouldn’t allow this special interest to take money out of our pockets and food off our tables anymore.”

CALA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grass roots, public education organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain.  Central California CALA strives to educate the public on the costs and consequences of lawsuit abuse.