Nebraska ranks second in 2006 State Liability Systems study

LINCOLN, NEB. (June 14, 2006)—For the fourth consecutive year, Nebraska’s tort liability system has been ranked second highest nationally in terms of its fairness and reasonability. Harris Interactive Inc. has conducted the yearly poll since 2002 for the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform by randomly sampling in-house general counsel or other senior corporate litigators nationwide to gain input about how U.S. businesses perceive each state’s tort liability system.

The 2006 ranking was expanded to include previously unmeasured areas: venue requirements, mass consolidation suits and non-economic damages.

Seventy percent of those polled agreed that a state’s litigation environment weighs heavily in businesses’ decisions to locate or conduct business in a specific state or area.

“Clearly, Nebraska offers advantages for growing and successful businesses. Our positive ranking on this litigation study reflects the importance that Nebraska places on having a fair and balanced legal environment,” said Richard Baier, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. “We are grateful that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has decided to publish this study annually, as this is such an important issue to making America’s businesses and industry base globally competitive, especially for manufacturing, and research and development-related businesses.”

Respondents graded states (A through F) in each of the following areas: having and enforcing meaningful venue requirements; overall treatment of tort and contract litigation; treatment of class action suits and mass consolidation suits; punitive damages; timeliness of summary judgment or dismissal; discovery; scientific and technical evidence; non-economic damages; judges’ impartiality and competence; and juries’ predictability and fairness. Grades in each area were then combined to formulate an overall ranking of state liability systems.

Nebraska scored among the top five states in all areas, except punitive damages, and its overall 71.5 score placed it second only behind Delaware (74.9). Rounding out the remaining top five states were Virginia (71.1), Iowa (68.8), and Connecticut (66.9).

Earning the bottom five slots were Hawaii, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and finishing last, West Virginia.

To view the study, go to: http://www.instituteforlegalreform.org/harris/pdf/Exec_Summary_FINAL.pdf

FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Richard Baier at 402-471-3747, or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

or Dan Curran at 402-471-6513, or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it