Monday, January 17, 2011
Chamber: Court Should Not Change Tort Liability Standard by Rule
The Maryland Chamber of Commerce delivered a letter to Judge Alan Wilner, Chairman of the Judiciary’s Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure outlining the Chamber’s opposition to the Maryland Court of Appeals changing the state’s tort liability standards by rule. The letter was co-signed by 52 businesses and business organizations.
Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell requested that the Court’s Rules Committee consider whether the Court could adopt a rule overturning Maryland’s tort liability standards that prohibit a person from recovering damages if their actions contributed to their injury. An organizational meeting will be held by a subcommittee of the Rules Committee on January 18 at the Rules Committee Office, 2011-D Commerce Park Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The Maryland Chamber has long opposed shifting to a system of comparative fault because it would increase lawsuits and damages against businesses and make our state less competitive with neighboring states. Efforts to introduce a standard of comparative fault have repeatedly been rejected by the General Assembly over the past 40 years.
For more information, contact Ron Wineholt at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
