Brattle Principals Coauthor Report on Tort Costs in America

Principals David McKnight and Paul Hinton recently coauthored the third edition of Tort Costs in America, published by the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform (ILR).

The study found that the costs and compensation paid into the US tort system reached over $529 billion in 2022 – equating to over 2% of the country’s GDP and over $4,200 per household. The authors also found that tort costs continue to grow faster than inflation. While the study highlights the challenges of rising tort costs, it also shows that meaningful reforms to improve state legal climates can help reduce these costs.

The full study, “Tort Costs in America: An Empirical Analysis of Costs and Compensation of the US Tort System,” can be downloaded on the ILR website below. Mr. McKnight also recently discussed findings from the study at the ILR Summit 2024.