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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 18, 1992                   TAG: 9202180359
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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BIG COURT AWARDS BURDEN THE PUBLIC

INCREASINGLY, people recognize that the cost of protecting against litigation of every conceivable sort has a direct effect on many aspects of our lives, including the ability of American businesses to compete fairly in the world economy.

Multimillion-dollar judgments obtained by lawyers have placed a heavy and seemingly inescapable burden on the public, directly and indirectly, in the form of huge product liability insurance premiums or set-asides, automobile and personal liability insurance, and of course the astronomical medical-malpractice insurance costs.

Actions, already law in California, that limit awards for pain and suffering to $250,000 offer hope of some relief. Putting a lid on what has been for decades an irresistibly tempting pot could help bring about a welcome change in the American way of life.

Vice President Quayle and state Sen. Marye are on the right track and deserve our encouragement. The problem should not become a divisive political issue, rather one whose solution will benefit all but a small, however influential, part of the population. ROBERT N. PRITTIE BLACKSBURG

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