The Institute for Legal Reform ranks South Carolina’s lawsuit climate 37th in the nation
South Carolina’s tort costs are 2.5 percent of the state GDP and $3,734 per household
South Carolina’s consolidated docket for the state’s asbestos litigation has developed a reputation for extraordinary pro-plaintiff rulings and comes in at #3 in the annual Judicial Hellholes ranking
The Problem
By preventing juries from considering all parties responsible for damages in a lawsuit, current South Carolina law can leave a defendant on the hook for all damages in a lawsuit regardless of their true percentage of fault.
This has led to a system of extremes where plaintiffs are incentivized to “stack settlements” with parties at a higher percentage of fault, and then target the “deepest pocket” for 100 percent of damages.
This system adversely impacts businesses - including small businesses that cannot survive a hefty lawsuit - leading to increased premiums, reduced availability of insurance coverage, and a target on entities that are perceived as having “deep pockets.”
What We’re Doing
We believe South Carolina needs to base fault on a fair share of liability, not the deepest pocket.
The SC Chamber is a proud member of the South Carolina Coalition for Lawsuit Reform, which serves as the united voice for the business community on tort and workers’ compensation issues.
Urging lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 244 in the 2025 legislative session, which is a meaningful tort reform package that we believe will fix our broken civil “justice” system and make South Carolina’s economy more competitive, all while adhering to our state’s values. Learn more about S.244here.