Lana Venable is executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch.
Supporters of tort reform expressed disappointment about the pace of legislative efforts to reform Louisiana’s civil justice system during Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week, an annual event to raise the public’s understanding about the costs of excessive litigation.
Among the groups taking part in the information campaign during the first week of October are Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW) and the Louisiana Legal Reform Commission (LLRC), which are working to warn residents of the state about the costs and economic repercussions of lawsuit abuse.
Despite concerns about unfolding coastal erosion lawsuits playing out in state courts and the state Legislature’s failure to pass a measure to more accurately calculate the costs of medical damages in injury lawsuits, the state’s insurance commission recently reported on what he characterized as a downward trend in car insurance rates, calling it an initial expression of confidence about insurance reforms that lawmakers passed earlier this year.
“Louisianans deserve long-term, comprehensive reforms that promote fairness and bring opportunity to all our residents,” Lana Venable, LLAW’s executive director, said in a statement emailed to the Louisiana Record. “Unprecedented coastal litigation has already resulted in one ‘nuclear verdict’ of more than $745 million against Chevron, with more than 40 similar cases against oil and gas companies in the queue.”
Such high-stakes lawsuits send a negative message to job creators statewide that Louisiana is not a stable venue to do business, according to Venable.
Karen Eddlemon, the LLRC’s executive director, said she was disappointed that the state Legislature did not do more to curb excessive litigation in Louisiana this year.
“Unfortunately, attempts at passing this type of reform legislation were thwarted during the legislative session,” Eddlemon said in a prepared statement. “Chief among the changes needed are phantom damages/medical transparency laws as well as moves to change the overall litigious culture of Louisiana.”
She added that citizens statewide have been subjected to constant “sue, sue, sue” messages, making policy changes difficult without strong leadership in both the executive and legislative branches of government.
Eddlemon also expressed concern about the influence of special-interest money flowing to politicians.
“Political contributions in large amounts to influential politicians, much of which is untraceable due to the ethics laws that do not require the reporting of money to (political action committees), continue to result in at least the appearance that these officials can be bought,” she said.
Tort-reform supporters pointed to a 2025 economic study prepared by the Texas-based Perryman Group that said Louisiana is losing about $2.9 million in personnel income annually as a result of excessive civil litigation, as well as state gross product losses of $4.6 million plus about 40,000 lost jobs. In addition, state government revenue losses due to lawsuit abuse totaled more than $240 million per year, while local government revenues suffered a $200 million hit.
But not all the news relating to the legal climate and its impact on the state’s economy is bad. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple reported last week that in the wake of recently passed insurance reforms, Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co. filed for an 11.8% auto-rate decrease that will take effect at the beginning of next year.
“While it’s too early to see how this year’s legal reform will affect auto insurance prices, we do know that reform works,” Temple said in an Oct. 2 statement. “I’m glad to see Louisiana Farm Bureau lean into our reform efforts. … Now is not the time to sit back and watch what happens next – we must be proactive about continually improving our regulatory and legal environment next session and in the years that follow.”
