American Tort Reform Association

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)

This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. Please help improve it by replacing them with more appropriate citations to reliable, independent sources. (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to reforming the civil justice system and advocating for tort reform. It was founded in 1986 by the American Council of Engineering Companies and was joined shortly thereafter by the American Medical Association.

## Issues

[edit]

ATRA's members are largely Fortune 500 companies. Although sponsored by major industries, ATRA has worked hard to present a dramatically different public image of itself, claiming to represent small businesses and average citizens.

The ATRA supports an agenda to increase public awareness of, and suggest changes in, the manner in which tort litigation is conducted in the United States. Some of these proposed changes would effectively limit the ability of tort plaintiffs to recover against tortfeasors. Examples include:

* Limitations on liability for medical malpractice
* Abolition of the rule of joint and several liability
* Abolition of the collateral source doctrine
* Limitations on punitive damages
* Limitations on noneconomic damages
* Changes in products liability law
* Greater skepticism in the admission of expert testimony
* Stopping so-called "regulation through litigation"
* Promotion of jury service

ATRA is trying to reform the following aspects of the civil legal system: appeal bonds, class action lawsuits, contingent fees, forums and venues, joint and several liabilities, judgment interest, jury service, medical liability, noneconomic damages, phantom damages, product liability, punitive damages, and teacher liability protection.[1]

ATRA has identified attorney misconduct as a part of the problem with the tort system and displayed a billboard targeting a particular "unethical lawyer."[2]

ATRA opposed legislation in Missouri that would eliminate statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse. The group negotiated language to extend the statute by ten years rather than eliminating it.[3]

## Annual recognitions

[edit]

At the end of every year since 2002, ATRA publishes its annual Judicial Hellholes report, which is a list of locales that ATRA calls the worst courts in the United States. The 2019-2020 report lists the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas as the worst court in the country. Prior to 2020, the No. 1 Judicial Hellhole according to ATRA was the state of California. The other "judicial hellholes" listed in the 2019-2020 report were California; New York City; Louisiana; the City of St. Louis, Missouri; Georgia; Cook, Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois; Oklahoma; the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Twin Cities; and, the New Jersey Legislature.

ATRA also awards the Civil Justice Achievement Award annually. Winners include Charlie Ross, Walter Olson, Paul Coverdell, Bill Pryor, and John H. Sullivan.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Issues". ATRA. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
2. ^ "ATRA :: ATRA Billboard Targets Unethical Attorney in San Antonio". Archived from the original on 2006-11-29. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
3. ^ Bates, Clara (2025-06-16). "Missouri Republican says special interests killed bill aiding child sex abuse survivors". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2025-06-16.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Organizational Profile – National Center for Charitable Statistics (Urban Institute)

This article about an organization in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

This article about a business, industry, or trade-related organization is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template