skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

General Assembly Looks at a Question about Fairness in Justice

play audio
Play

Wednesday, May 19, 2010   

RALEIGH, N. C. - The General Assembly is set to tackle an issue that some believe is a matter of fairness in the justice system, while others say it could lead to higher insurance rates.

At issue is whether to change the civil justice system, now based on the concept of contributory negligence, to a comparative fault system used in most other states. The contributory system means, if a court decides a victim is even one percent responsible for an accident, the person 99 percent responsible is exempted from paying any damages. State Senator Pete Brunstetter (R-Forsythe) is the sponsor of a bill (HB 813) to change the law.

"The system is just unfair, and 46 states have adopted some form of comparative fault - which is the system that we're looking for - which just is a fairer measure of somebody's responsibility to another in an accident."

Comparative fault means those responsible could be held accountable in civil court for their level of involvement. Insurance industry lobbyists have warned that changing to a comparative fault system will result in a hike in insurance rates. Brunstetter agrees insurance premium costs are a valid concern, but says there is no proof that rates would rise.

"I don't think the evidence shows that there's necessarily a strong relationship between whether you have a comparative system or a contributory system and what it does to insurance rates."

A recent actuarial study of two states that changed their systems to what North Carolina is considering (Tennessee and South Carolina), did not find any rapid rises in premiums. The legislation has received bipartisan support.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021