38

September 26, 2016 | Number of The Day
Ranking of NJ’s legal climate among all states

According to a recent survey conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal reform —as reported by the New Jersey Civil Justice Institute — New Jersey’s legal climate ranks 38th in the country, a drop of six points since a prior survey in 2012. That isn’t bad news, it’s bad business: 75 percent of attorneys U.S. companies indicated that a state’s legal environment affects important business decisions, like where to relocate or expand.

The American Tort Reform Associated summed it up succinctly, the NJCI reported, naming New Jersey as its latest “Judicial Hellhole.” With lawsuits like these, it’s easy to see why the Garden State got slapped with the satanic appellation:

  • A woman is suing the police because she was too drunk to sit in a chair without falling out of it.
  • A customer took Applebee’s to court when he burned himself bowing his head to pray over a sizzling steak fajita.
  • A couple has filed a discrimination suit seeking to have excessive flatulence covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    • The New Jersey Civil Justice Institute isn’t laughing. It is, however, sponsoring a program of 11 legal issues that New Jersey needs to tackle if it wants to improve its reputation and its legal climate.