Why Let Facts Get In the Way of Spin????

Columbus, Ohio. FOR ANYONE NOT SAVVY, PART OF THE FOLLOWING IS MEANT TO BE SARCASTIC. See if you can figure it out.

David A. Bressman

First, let's blame all the [trial] lawyers. You've heard it all over haven't you. But for FRIVOLOUS lawsuits, the sun would shine brighter, music would play clearer, food would taste better and there would be world peace. If only there weren't those greedy trial lawyers. Sure, critics can cherry pick examples of bad and/or unethical trial lawyers but I sure could pick numerous examples of businesses, business executives and, particularly, insurance companies that would make most people blush. But hey, why let a few good myths get in the way of facts:

The Ohio Supreme Court’s new Ohio Courts Summary for 2007, with all of the statistics, is now available online. Debunk urban legends (civil jury trials are clogging our courts) with FACTS like:

-There were only 4.7 civil jury trials per common pleas court judge last year – barely 1 trial every 3 months! (3,007 total jury trials (page 33) less 1,878 criminal trials (page 73) equals 1,129 civil trials, divided by 241 CCP judges (page 31);

–There were only 5 product liability trials in the entire state in the entire year of 2007 (page 45): Cleveland – ONE; Columbus – NONE, Cincinnati – NONE – this is a crisis? This is driving jobs out of state?;

–There were fewer cases pending at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year (page 29).

The entire 301 pages are available at http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/publications/annrep/07OCS