Lawyers take too high of a percentage of money awarded to injured parties in lawsuit settlements.

Reforms would limit lawsuits filed by people wanting to blame obesity on restaurants.

Reforms would ensure defendants pay only their share of judgments due to their share of the fault and no defendant would become the "deep pocket."

Access to medical care is declining as doctors continue to limit high-risk procedures such as surgeries and delivering babies.

Reasonable medical malpractice reforms have worked in other states. The results are: more money paid to injured parties, payments received faster, and malpractice premiums kept under control.

Reasonable reforms will NOT take away an injured party's right to seek legal action. These reforms simply ask that settlements are fair and balanced.

What is at Stake?

Who Supports Liability Reform?

• Nationally, about $108 billion is added each year to the cost of healthcare because physicians feel compelled to practice defensive medicine - ordering unnecessary tests and making unnecessary referrals - to avoid future litigation.

• More and more physicians have stopped practicing clinical medicine because they simply cannot afford liability insurance premiums.

• Doctors have moved out of rural communities because premiums are too high to spread the costs across fewer patients in small towns.

• 45 percent of physicians have reduced or eliminated high-risk services (such as maternity services and surgeries) to avoid unaffordable liability insurance premiums.

• Since 2000, taxpayers have footed the bill for $170 million in lawsuits filed against state government because they had "deeper pockets" than other defendants.

• Higher insurance premiums for homebuilders increase the cost of building a home.

• Employers are encouraged not to provide references on past employees due to liability concerns.

Liability Reform is supported by more than 60 organizations across Washington state - representing doctors, small businesses, architects, engineers, homebuilders, patient advocates, nursing homes and dozens more.

A recent public poll showed that an overwhelming majority:

• Agree people should not be allowed to sue restaurants because they choose to eat unhealthy or fattening foods

• Believe many personal injury lawyers are more concerned about the money they make than getting justice for their clients

• Support a limit on non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits

• Agree defendants in lawsuits should only have to pay their fair share of a judgment

• Believe medical malpractice lawsuits are either a crisis or major problem because they increase overall healthcare costs