Nader Joins Tort Lawyers

8--9--1998

In earlier years it might be allowed that Ralph Nader was responsible for doing some actual good on behalf of consumers. Recent efforts show how far from beneficial his attitudes and actions have strayed.

According to national news, Nader's latest crusade is to create a "Museum of American Tort Law." If there was ever anything undeserving of historical recognition it is American tort law. Rather than memorialization, that monster should be killed, buried, and forgotten.

One of the examples Nader picked to represent his idea of what should be honored is the silicone breast implant tort debacle. To this day there is still no shred of scientific evidence showing that the implants ever hamed any women. Yet thousands, if not millions, have concluded or been persuaded that the implants were responsible from everything to headaches to weight loss to cancer. And the tort bar reaped a fortune while a major U.S. corporation was essentially wiped out by the tort suits.

Of course, Nader is himself a lawyer, and he likes our crazy liability climate. But the sad reality is that our tort system is disgustingly unique among civilized nations. It is sickening that anyone wants to actually preserve its degraded memory.