Renew your Membership
Membership Directory
Member Benefits
About the Chamber

• Promote Your Business
• Money-Saving Programs
• Electronic Certificates of Origin

• Taxes
• Healthcare
• Legal Reform
• Labor Laws
• Environmental Laws
• Green Initiative
• More...

The PA Chamber applauds the House Judiciary Committee for approving legislation that would foster fairness and predictability with regard to personal injury lawsuits filed against job creators.

House Bill 1976 would stop the long-standing practice of “forum shopping” – a tactic used by personal injury attorneys to file their cases in pro-plaintiff jurisdictions (namely, Philadelphia) that have little to no relation to the defendant or the act giving rise to the cause of action, for the sole purpose of securing a large jury award. The bill was advanced by the committee on Monday, Dec. 5.

A successful precursor to H.B. 1976, Act 127 of 2002 requires medical malpractice claims to be filed in the same jurisdiction where the incident occurs. Enactment of Act 127 resulted in a dramatic decline in the number of medical malpractice lawsuits filed in Philadelphia. The PA Chamber has since been pushing for venue reform to be expanded to include all civil liability cases so that the business community can realize the same benefits.

House Bill 1976 would limit venue to either the county where the plaintiff resides; the county where the action occurred; or the county where the principle place of business is located – a commonsense approach to make Pennsylvania’s legal climate more balanced and therefore, more favorable for investment and job growth.

Prior to the vote by the House Judiciary Committee, the PA Chamber issued a memo of support for H.B. 1976, one of several key legal reform measures sought by the PA Chamber. Venue reform, along with a joint and several liability reform law enacted earlier this year, would go a long way toward improving the Commonwealth’s notoriously bad legal climate.

PA Chamber members urge the full House to approve H.B. 1976.

###

Founded in 1916, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state's largest broad-based business association, with its membership comprising businesses of all sizes and across all industry sectors. The PA Chamber is The Statewide Voice of Business.