JEFFERSON CITY (Dec. 10, 2024) – With St. Louis ranking No. 7 on the American Tort Reform Foundation’s annual list of “Judicial Hellholes,” NFIB State Director Brad Jones urged the General Assembly to prioritize judicial reform in the next regular session.

“For more than a decade, St. Louis has ranked within the top 10 ‘judicial hellholes’ nationwide. Lawsuit abuse doesn’t just stifle the St. Louis economy, but results in the loss of more than 62,000 jobs annually statewide. Missourians can’t afford another decade of inaction by state lawmakers who are beholden to plaintiffs’ lawyers. On behalf of small business owners and the hardworking Missourians they employ, we call on the General Assembly to restore balance to the Show Me state’s litigation environment by prioritizing tort reform.”

According to the report’s findings

• Excessive litigation on the St. Louis economy has resulted in a loss of more than 28,800 jobs annually.
• Statewide, that number jumps to more than 62,000 with each Missourian paying a $1,095 “tort tax” each year.

CLICK HERE to read the full report.