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St. Louis listed on Judicial Hellhole report again

ST. LOUIS RECORD

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

St. Louis listed on Judicial Hellhole report again

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ST. LOUIS — The American Tort Reform Foundation’s 2024-2025 Judicial Hellholes report has cast a harsh spotlight on St. Louis, placing its courts among the nation’s most problematic for lawsuit abuse. 

The report noted cases plagued by questionable scientific evidence and staggering verdicts and noted how St. Louis has become a magnet for litigation, to the detriment of businesses and the local economy.

St. Louis ranked seventh on the annual Judicial Hellholes list, which assesses courts where fairness and justice are perceived to take a backseat. 

The report describes the city’s legal environment as a haven for plaintiff-friendly rulings, where judges’ acceptance of "junk science" and leniency toward trial lawyers has made the jurisdiction infamous nationwide.

A key focus of the report is the ongoing wave of lawsuits targeting manufacturers of baby formula prescribed for premature infants. 

A St. Louis jury recently handed down a $500 million verdict against a formula maker, claiming the product contributed to a condition called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). 

Critics argue that these lawsuits rely on discredited scientific claims, endangering medical advancements and potentially risking the health of preterm infants who rely on the formula.

Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Food and Drug Administration have refuted the claims underlying the lawsuits, noting that current science does not support the allegations. 

Despite this, St. Louis courts have allowed such cases to proceed, raising concerns about the role of junk science in shaping verdicts.

The report also points to a dramatic rise in "nuclear verdicts" in St. Louis, where juries award multi-million or billion-dollar sums, often influenced by "anchoring" tactics used by plaintiff lawyers. 

The report noted an example from September when a jury delivered a $462 million verdict against a trailer manufacturer in a fatal highway collision case. Key evidence—such as the driver’s high blood alcohol level and the plaintiff’s failure to wear seatbelts—was excluded under Missouri’s "seatbelt gag rule," amplifying concerns about unfair trials.

The report also noted continued asbestos litigation, as St. Louis courts remain a hub, ranking seventh nationwide for filings in 2024. Though cases have slightly decreased compared to the previous year, the city’s popularity for such lawsuits persists, often drawing out-of-state plaintiffs.

The foundation warns that lawsuit abuse in St. Louis courts contributes to broader economic harms, including job losses and a "tort tax" burdening consumers. 

On average, each American pays $1,561 annually due to excessive litigation costs, which has risen nearly 20% in two years, the report notes.

"Excessive litigation obstructs economic growth, stifles innovation, and drives away businesses," Tiger Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association, said in a provided statement. "By exposing lawsuit abuse, we can hold judges and officials accountable and preserve the integrity of our legal system."

The report also criticized Missouri’s legislature for its failure to address legal system flaws, suggesting that the state has "turned a blind eye" to rampant abuse. 

As St. Louis continues to attract high-profile litigation and monumental verdicts, the city’s reputation as a litigation hotspot shows no signs of abating.

The report calls for reforms to combat junk science, reduce excessive verdicts, and restore balance to St. Louis’s courts, urging lawmakers and the judiciary to act in the interest of fairness and economic stability.

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