Reddit reviews Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis (Chicago Series in Law and Society)

People get so angry when you take the side of this old woman. I've never understood how she could be such an unsympathetic victim. Turns out it was a deliberate smear campaign that went far beyond the courtroom and has had a lasting effect on tort law in the years since. For anyone who doubts this, or still thinks this woman was lying, read this book: "Distorting the Law". It provides sources and citations for exactly what happened in the case, and how the case was used to push damage caps in States all across the country. It's a shame, a rotten shame, but it's very true. http://www.amazon.com/Distorting-Law-Politics-Litigation-Chicago/dp/0226314642

While it is out of my depth to comment on any historical patterns, it is worth noting that many (possibly most?) Americans have an extremely inaccurate understanding of the degree of litigiousness in their country. The idea that personal responsibility is giving way to litigation is largely a myth constructed by people with a great deal to gain by stifling torts. I'd suggest Distoring the Law for an overview of the topic.

Actually, I looked into this once. It was a huge marketing effort, with many different firms involved, to quell "frivolous" lawsuits in America. The media was included in this campaign to use lawsuits like this to protect corporate America. No one wants to be the next "McDonald's Coffee Lady". There is a pretty good book that was written about it.

The United States is not as litigious of a country as even people within its borders think it is.

In the grand scheme of things, very few people sue for perceived wrongs and even less win. The media has distorted the public's view on this due to their tendency to report the extreme and ignore boring "facts and statistics".

Getting a lawyer to provide you legal advice is simply a solid logical step in sorting out situations where the law may get involved.