(2003-04-24) — About two-thirds of Sen. John Edwards presidential campaign funding to date has come from personal injury lawyers. His major supporters are hoping that a President Edwards would push through reforms that would reduce the outrageous damage awards often inflicted on hapless corporations.
Among the Senator’s staunch supporters, Arkansas attorney Tab Turner is so devoted to the reform cause that he apparently promised rebates to his employees who would donate to the Edwards campaign.
“I just feel so strongly that we need to put a cap on these pain-and-suffering awards,” said Mr. Turner. “To be honest, I’m trying to get all I can for my client, because I care so deeply about each person. But at the end of the day, I often think about the cost to the corporations. Where’s the sympathy for the CEO who’s struggling to keep his business afloat? Where’s the compassion for the stockholders whose retirement accounts take a hit because of a huge lawsuit? And who’s advocating for the consumer who has to pay higher prices, or the physician driven out of business by the high cost of malpractice insurance?”
Mr. Turner said he believes that Sen. Edwards is the right man to “take this legal system and turn it upside down, like a poorly-designed S.U.V. with defective tires.”
“We lawyers have to support him,” Mr. Turner said. “Because big businesses don’t have the money to do it right now….what with all the huge court judgments they’ve had to pay.”

Post This to Your Facebook