Kudos to the New York Times for writing a fair article portraying Texas’ highest judges as fair and balanced jurists. The even-handed decision-making of today’s Texas Supreme Court is a radical departure from the unabashedly pro-plaintiff court of a decade ago.
True, defendants have won a number of appeals in recent years. However, the rights of Texas workers and consumers have been protected by several recent court rulings. For instance:
The court ruled a corporation was liable when a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman raped a customer in her own home. The court ruled that the company was responsible for the actions of its contracted agents because it required in-home demonstrations and sales.
Likewise, the court upheld a $10.3 million verdict in an exploding tire case. Essentially, the court said a good warning does not excuse poor product design.
Counting how many times plaintiff and defense won makes for interesting reading. However, a court is best measured by its proper application of the law.
Jon Opelt
Executive Director
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse
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