In an article on San Diego News Room today, Gina Giacopuzzi reports on the impact of abusive lawsuits on California's economy. In it, San Diego Regional Director Lorie Zapf notes:

"People find it a lottery; they think big companies are deep pockets," said Lorie Zapf, president of San Diego Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA). "But in California, up to 90 percent of companies have 15 or fewer employees. When they hurt these companies, they're hurting the economy."

When businesses have to deal with litigation, "(they) have to cut back on employee benefits, marketing, advertising... lawsuits can destroy them," said Zapf. "The ‘golden' state of California is already considered one of the worst states in terms of its business climate, ranking 44 out of 50 states in the ‘Lawsuit Climate 2008' Harris Survey.  It's also in the bottom ten on the Forbes ‘10 Worst States to do Business' list, ranking #50 in when it comes to business costs (which include litigation).  That's dead last."