Delaware is ranked number 11 out of 50 in the 2017 Lawsuit Climate Survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This is the first time the state has not taken number one, a spot now occupied by South Dakota.
“Delaware no longer lives up to its nickname as the ‘First State,’” said Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. “As the competition between states to enact legal reforms gets tighter, Delaware is losing ground.”
A release from the Chamber outlines the possible impact of the downgrade:
“Delaware is getting passed by. The state’s main business court has remained solid, repeatedly refusing to approve bogus settlements where lawyers get all the money. But while other states are busy passing tort reforms, Delaware’s legislature is siding more with the plaintiffs’ lawyers than businesses.”
The rankings are determined by surveying senior business executives on state lawsuit environments. A high of 85 percent of survey participants said a state’s lawsuit environment impacts where they locate or expand.
