{"id":2519298,"date":"2025-12-09T15:31:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T20:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-says-los-angeles-is-nations-worst-judicial-hellhole\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T15:34:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T20:34:13","slug":"report-says-los-angeles-is-nations-worst-judicial-hellhole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-says-los-angeles-is-nations-worst-judicial-hellhole\/","title":{"rendered":"Report says Los Angeles is nation&#8217;s worst &#8216;judicial hellhole&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Freport-says-los-angeles-is-nations-worst-judicial-hellhole%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2519298&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A recent national report by the American tort Reform Foundation has named Los Angeles the worst &#8220;judicial hellhole&#8221; in the United States, citing lawsuit abuse and judicial bias as key factors. The annual report analyzes personal injury and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/from-michael-brown-to-makhia-bryant-meet-the-lawyer-whose-false-claims-fueled-a-generation-of-black-lives-matter-violence\/\" title=\"From Michael Brown To Ma\u2019Khia Bryant: Meet The Lawyer Whose False Claims Fueled A Generation Of Black Lives Matter Violence\">wrongful death lawsuits<\/a>, focusing on the size and causes of verdicts as well as their <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >real-world impact<\/a>. Highlighted cases include a $1 billion verdict against Johnson &#038; Johnson for mesothelioma linked to their baby powder,which the report called excessive and influenced by &#8220;junk science.&#8221; The city also saw multiple &#8220;nuclear verdicts&#8221;-lawsuit awards exceeding $10 million-including one where a plaintiff received $50 million after spilling coffee at a Starbucks drive-through, a sum projected to rise to $61 million with interest. The report also accused a law firm of fraud in a case involving Ford Motor Co. The findings stress that these court issues not only affect legal fairness but also increase costs for everyday Americans, especially in jurisdictions like Los Angeles. Additionally,California and Florida lead the nation in the number of nuclear verdicts awarded between 2013 and 2022,followed by New York and Texas.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Report says Los Angeles is nation&rsquo;s worst &lsquo;judicial hellhole&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2439776\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lawsuits\/\">Lawsuit<\/a> abuse and judicial bias are two of the main reasons why <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/los-angeles\/\">Los Angeles <\/a>was identified as the worst &ldquo;judicial hellhole&rdquo; in the country, according to a&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/judicialhellholes.org\/hellhole\/2025-2026\/los-angeles\/\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-resolution-condemns-irans-2019-crackdown-of-protesters-that-killed-1500\/\" title=\"GOP Resolution Condemns Iran\u2019s 2019 Crackdown of Protesters That Killed 1,500\">national report&#038;nbsp<\/a>;<\/a>released Tuesday by the American Tort Reform Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>The report is issued every year by the foundation to analyze personal injury and wrongful death lawsuit verdicts, causes of those verdicts and real-world implications.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3912334\/georgias-top-cities-cant-or-wont-produce-basic-personnel-data\/\">One of Georgia&rsquo;s top cities can&rsquo;t (or won&rsquo;t) produce basic personnel data<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3912087\/gavin-newsom-announces-new-memoir-2026\/\">Newsom announces memoir he hopes readers will &#8216;connect&#8217; with next year<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3912109\/new-jersey-twins-arrested-threatening-kill-dhs-spokeswoman-ice-officers\/\">New Jersey twins arrested for threatening to kill DHS spokeswoman and ICE officers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Report author Tiger Joyce found three civil lawsuits pushed Los Angeles to the top of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cook-county-lands-at-no-6-of-tort-reform-groups-judicial-hellholes-list-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Cook County lands at No. 6 of tort reform group\u2019s \u2018...s\u2019 list - Washington Examiner\">judicial hellholes list<\/a>. One of those involved the family of an 88-year-old woman who was diagnosed with mesothelioma before her death. That family was awarded $1 billion by the defendant, Johnson &amp; Johnson, after the court issued a decision that held the company liable for manufacturing a baby powder that the woman had used since the 1930s.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We believe the award was certainly excessive, but beyond that, it was driven by what we call &lsquo;junk science,&rsquo; &rdquo; Joyce told The Center Square Tuesday. &ldquo;That award really jumped out at us.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Other cases that resulted in excessive amounts of money being awarded to plaintiffs, which the ATR Foundation called&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/instituteforlegalreform.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ILR-May-2024-Nuclear-Verdicts-Study.pdf\">&ldquo;nuclear verdicts,&rdquo;<\/a>&nbsp;were also detailed in the report that puts Los Angeles at the top of the &ldquo;judicial hellhole&rdquo; list. &ldquo;Nuclear verdicts,&rdquo; or verdicts in lawsuits where the plaintiffs are awarded $10 million or more, included one case where a plaintiff was awarded $50 million after he was said to have spilled coffee on his lap when picking up an order at a Starbucks drive-through window.<\/p>\n<p>According to the ATR Foundation, Starbucks will likely pay that plaintiff closer to $61 million once prejudgement interest and other costs are included. That plaintiff will be paid $1 million a year for the rest of his life, the foundation said on the report&rsquo;s website.<\/p>\n<p>Another case between Ford Motor Co. and Knight Law Firm alleged fraud on the part of the law firm. Officials with Ford in that case accused lawyers at Knight Law Firm of falsifying time sheets, according to the ATR Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>The foundation&rsquo;s annual report is important, Joyce said, because court problems affects affordability both nationally and in communities with a judicial hellhole.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3911825\/democrats-independents-want-hegseth-impeached-boat-strike-poll\/\">DOUBLE TAP: DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS WANT HEGSETH IMPEACHED AND REMOVED<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So there&rsquo;s a variety of matters building on a significant number of broader issues that were violated over the years, but that&rsquo;s what drove us to put Los Angeles at the top of the hellhole list this year,&rdquo; Joyce told The Center Square. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just an academic or legal issue. Lawsuit abuse is something that affects the cost of everyday activity for all Americans, but particularly in a judicial hellhole.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The report also noted California and Florida together are tied for producing the most nuclear verdicts in the country between 2013 and 2022. The two states are followed in the report by New York and Texas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Report: Los Angeles named worst US &#8216;judicial hellhole<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2519299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25023598377515.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[68513,39502,36585,50944,68514],"class_list":["post-2519298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-judicial-hellhole","tag-legal-system","tag-los-angeles","tag-report-2","tag-worst-city"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25023598377515.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2519298"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2519302,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519298\/revisions\/2519302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2519299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2519298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2519298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2519298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}