Class Action Abuse

A federal judge in Houston deserves credit for exposing a huge swindle involving lawyers eager to make a killing on class-action lawsuits.U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack concluded that most of the 10,000 cases before her from plaintiffs claiming they were suffering from silicosis were part of a get-rich scheme by lawyers.

The disturbing facts, as outlined in the judge's 249-page decision, should bolster the contention that class-action lawsuits have been subject to widespread abuses.

Congress has been deadlocked for years trying to find a solution to the asbestos morass. A sensible compromise proposes creation of a $140 billion trust fund to pay future claims, thus removing cases from the courts and ensuring that the money goes to impaired workers rather than lawyers.

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