LEGAL WATCHDOGS KICK OFF “SMALL BUSINESS SUMMER” CAMPAIGN
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse Highlighting Negative Impact of Lawsuit Abuse on Small Businesses
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) organizations across Texas recently launched a “Small Business Summer” campaign to highlight the negative impact of lawsuit abuse and how small employers can help protect themselves from abusive litigation.
“A single lawsuit can put a small business out of business, which affects employees and the local community,” said Garry Bradford, chairman of Bay Area CALA in Corpus Christi. “While we’ve passed meaningful lawsuit reforms in Texas, ‘Small Business Summer’ is a reminder that we must work to protect these reforms to ensure a successful future for the small businesses that drive our economy.”
The CALAs are partnering with small businesses for the summer effort. As part of the campaign, the CALAs are distributing legal consumer guides, flyers about the impact of lawsuit abuse on small businesses, and window decals employers can display to show their support for the campaign.
Diane Davis, executive director of East Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse based in Longview, noted that nationally, lawsuits cost small businesses hundreds of billions of dollars. In a survey by the Institute for Legal Reform, more than one-third of small businesses said they have been sued. The same survey found that more than 60 percent of employers take burdensome precautions to protect themselves from litigation – precautions that ultimately make their products and services more expensive. Texas is home to more than 350,000 small businesses, employing 2.9 million Texans.
“Armed with the right information, business owners can take steps to protect themselves,” said Febe Zepeda, executive director of Rio Grande Valley CALA in Weslaco.
Jennifer Harris, spokesperson for CALA of Central Texas, noted, “Businesses can take basic steps to fight lawsuit abuse, like increasing documentation and quickly addressing customer concerns. In the end, Texas lawmakers have done their job – passing meaningful reforms – but we all have a role to play in ensuring our courts are used for justice, not greed.”
To join in “Small Business Summer” and receive a packet of briefing materials, please contact 800-476-1442 or info@tala.com.
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Media contact: Jennifer Harris, jharris@jwhcommunications.com; (512) 773-7168.
About CALA: Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) is a grassroots movement of people concerned that lawsuit abuse hurts Texas families and Texas employers and can ultimately cost jobs and limit access to all types of goods and services.
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