Legal Reform in Wisconsin
Issue Overview: A single lawsuit can be a financial disaster for small business owners who often cannot afford a costly extended trial. Although we have been successful winning passage of key legal reforms that have helped reduce the number of personal injury and property damage claims, we continue to work for greater predictability, fairness, and a less costly civil justice system in Wisconsin. Small business needs relief from skyrocketing insurance costs, and legislation is needed that will limit or eliminate the uncertainty from unpredictable and sometimes unwarranted lawsuits. NFIB leads a broad coalition of organizations dedicated to an aggressive legislative agenda of meaningful legal reforms in Wisconsin.
- Product Liability: NFIB supports legislation that will restore fairness and balance to our civil justice system by establishing reasonable standards and defenses for determining liability, including:
- Limit a manufacturer's liability for products that have been altered or misused. (Member Ballot results show 93 percent favor.)
- Eliminate the liability of the sellers of products under certain conditions. (Member Ballot results show 86 percent favor.)
- Provide a defense when a person is injured while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Create a Statute of Repose, which would limit a manufacturer's liability for products manufactured in the last 15 years.
- Apply the 1995 joint and several liability reforms to product liability lawsuits.
- Rules of Evidence: NFIB supports legislation that would conform Wisconsin's rules of evidence to the federal law. Adoption of the Daubert Standards for evidence and expert testimony in civil lawsuits would maximize the ability of our courts to determine the truth and resolve factual disputes with fairness to all parties should be approved and signed into law. This common-sense expert opinion bill will ensure that testimony admitted into evidence in Wisconsin is credible and reliable, based on sound principles and methods, and is presented by a true expert in his/her field.
- Medical Malpractice Lawsuits: NFIB supports legislation that would limit the amount of non-economic damages that may be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- Expanding Lawsuits: NFIB supports legislation that would prevent businesses or individuals from being held liable for products they did not manufacture, sell or distribute.
