Pennsylvania’s notorious legal climate has once again led to the Commonwealth being ranked as the nation’s worst judicial hellhole. The American Tort Reform Foundation today released its 2024–2025 “Judicial Hellholes®” report, which identifies the nation’s most problematic courts. In this year’s report, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are in the top spot.
Among the issues that led to Pennsylvania’s distinctive ranking is an increase in nuclear verdicts – particularly out of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas which recently issued a $2.25 billion award verdict. Additional factors include the Supreme Court’s rescission of the medical liability venue rule which has led to a significant increase in med mal case filings in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s trend of expanding liability through its rulings – including duplicative damages, expanded product liability, and the creation of novel theories of liability.
The negative impact of Pennsylvanian’s legal environment can be felt by taxpayers. In addition to driving up prices, data shows that residents pay an annual ‘tort tax’ of more than $1,431, while more than 171,000 jobs are lost annually as a result of excessive tort costs.
“Whether you call it a judicial hellhole or a plaintiff attorney’s paradise, Pennsylvania’s legal climate needs a reset,” said Curt Schroder, PCCJR’s Executive Director. “As we look towards a new legislative session, lawmakers must make lawsuit abuse reform a priority. It’s time to rebalance the scales of justice in the Commonwealth by passing Rep. Torren Ecker’s package of reforms to restore order and fairness in our courts.”