Today a California Superior Court judge in Los Angeles reduced an unprecedented $4.9 billion jury verdict against General Motors to $1.2 billion in a case involving a traffic accident caused by a drunk driver. The following is a statement on that decision by John H. Sullivan, President of the Civil Justice Association of California:

"While the record verdict was reduced, this case still sends a message that the civil justice system is broken. Clearly the accident in question was tragic. But blame was wrongly placed on a company that made a safe car instead of on a drunk driver who caused the accident--a fact the jury never got to hear.

The personal injury lawyers know this trial came out wrong, which is why they are trying to crab together PR gimmicks to mask the injustice. We see the personal injury lawyers trying to fool the public into thinking this runaway verdict is acceptable by trying to use it to force General Motors to recall a car for a defect it doesn't have.

Another atrocious trial lawyer PR gimmick is claiming that they have been trying for years to get the Legislature in California to give part of punitive damage awards to government. That is a complete fabrication. This year, for example, they have a full slate of bills on their agenda--not a one of them dealing with that subject. In fact, in the past they have even killed bills containing the very proposal they claim as theirs."