Trial lawyers, rejoice: The year’s most ludicrous civil court decisions -- By Robby Soave, The Daily Caller

Another year, another parade of frivolous lawsuits resulting in millions of dollars in compensatory damages and trial lawyer fees.

The American Tort Reform Association publishes a yearly list of the most unbelievable civil litigation outcomes from around the country. The ATRA’s “Judicial Hellholes” report spotlights unique cases of judicial overreach that expand the average person’s liability while trampling legal precedents and striking down tort reforms.

Here is The Daily Caller’s selection of five of the worst offenders.

BP still paying for Gulf Coast cleanup, and everyone is cashing in: In response to the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010, BP waived its own liability cap and agreed to pay compensation to all residents who had suffered economic losses, with just one stipulation–the losses had to be real.

It didn’t take long, however, for the abuse to begin. As a result of a settlement with a group of lawyers representing self-described spill victims, BP agreed to make additional payments, “knowing full well that this would likely mean that people whose economic losses had no connection to the spill would receive compensation,” in the words of New York Times columnist Joe Nocera.

In Nocera’s view, BP did the honorable thing by agreeing to pay more claims than what the law required. Thanks to the ensuing flood of baseless claims and corrupt court decisions, however, no company will ever again make the mistake of being too nice.

In West Virginia, if you fall down the stairs, it’s the property owner’s fault: Liability law generally holds that property owners must warn people about dangers and pitfalls that aren’t readily noticeable. It does not, however, require property owners to line their stores and houses with pillows, guarding against every conceivable injury.

(Click link below to read more)
READ MORE Sphere: Related Content