A new bill circulating in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would significantly expand liability in the Commonwealth with taxpayers footing the bill.
The Extreme Weather Recovery Act (EWRA) would allow for uncapped lawsuits against private companies by individuals seeking damages for natural disasters. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform did an analysis and found that if this bill had been in place between 2020 – 2024, Pennsylvania taxpayers could have faced an estimated $26.25 billion in additional costs. This breaks down to more than $4,800 per household to line the pockets of plaintiffs’ attorneys. Among the areas that taxpayers would feel the extra financial pinch are higher electrical bills, increased housing costs, greater transportation costs and a general spike in the cost of all other purchased goods.
The EWRA would add another avenue for plaintiffs’ attorneys to bring even more lawsuits in search of jackpot verdicts – further clogging our civil justice system and adding to Pennsylvania’s already litigious environment.
For more information, visit the IRL’s website for a more detailed overview of the EWRA and its potential impact on taxpayers.