The new president of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association is launching a campaign to give the public the truth about frivolous lawsuits, reports the Denver Post. For the most part, the stories about outrageous lawsuits are lies, said president Murray Ogborn. He says that for 35 years there has been a concerted effort by big business and the insurance industry to undermine the U.S. civil court system by spreading myths about how it has failed.
In a letter to association members, Ogborn said the new internally funded program will be called the “Campaign of Truth.” The group plans to use its magazine, media and legislative contacts and client advocacy to combat the perceptions. The myths center on outrageous lawsuits that lead to big-money jury verdicts. Among them is a tale about a man who cut off his hand when trimming his hedge with a lawn mower and received a huge payoff. Another is about a fellow who put his motor home on automatic on the highway, went back to the kitchen to make a sandwich and then won a huge verdict against the vehicle manufacturer when the vehicle ran into a ditch. “There is absolutely no truth to any of those,” Ogborn said.