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ATLA to Congresswoman Deborah Pryce: Stop scaring volunteers.

(Thursday, September 8, 2005) - On the NPR show Morning Edition Sept. 7, Ohio Congresswoman and Chair of the Republican Conference Deborah Pryce said that volunteers were not “able to go down and pitch in [with hurricane relief] because they were afraid to be sued.” In response, Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) President Ken Suggs issued the following statement:

“In the wake of the nation’s worst natural disaster the last thing our country needs are politicians in Washington scaring Americans out of helping the victims.

“Americans have responded with an immense and unprecedented volunteer effort, but reckless statements like that could actually deter people from providing badly-needed assistance to the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their homes, jobs and family members.

“Instead of helping people hardest hit by the hurricane and flood, some in Congress are trying to score political points.

“The truth is, like all Americans, trial lawyers across the country are helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina, by raising more than $250,000 through Trial Lawyers Care, volunteering at shelters and collecting much-needed supplies.

“I spent yesterday at the Naval Reserve Training Center in Charleston, South Carolina where I and one thousand other volunteers helped victims coming from Louisiana. Nowhere did I see one person who was worried about getting sued.

“The overwhelming outpouring of support from people across this country is testament enough that, with the exception of a few looking to score political points, we all have one thing on our minds – helping the victims piece their lives back together.”

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As the world's largest trial bar, ATLA promotes justice and fairness for injured persons, defends the constitutional right to trial by jury, and strengthens the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information critical to public health and safety. With 60,000 members worldwide, ATLA provides lawyers with the information and professional assistance they need to serve clients successfully and protect the democratic values of the civil justice system.