FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 28, 1998

CONTACT: John Sullivan of Mark Krausse PHONE: (916) 443-4900

Trial Lawyers Continue Attempts to Sink Responsible Dispute Resolution

The Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) today denounced the attempt of trial lawyers to block a settlement of the Lake Davis pike poisoning dispute unless they get a chance to file lawsuits against the state.

"This is yet another example of the trial lawyer industry trying to block legislative solutions that don't let them drag their contingency fee net through troubled waters," said Civil Justice Association of California president John Sullivan. "Here we have a plan to get funds to an economically-damaged community, with a minimum of legal overhead, but trial lawyers are willing to crater this plan because they don't get a cut of the action."

Sullivan said the same special interest power play has been at work all year regarding health care reform-a situation that threatens the passage of meaningful dispute resolution reform this year.

"Trial lawyers have been trying to link sensible, bi-partisan bills requiring independent review of health plan disputes to their own bills that would flood our health care system with lawsuits," said Sullivan. "Two days ago doctors blasted trial lawyers for these patient- harming tactics-today it's the people around Lake Davis who are being held hostage by the trial lawyers' self-interest strategy."