THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, March 8, 1995               TAG: 9503080553
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                         LENGTH: Short :   37 lines

HOUSE PASSES SHARP LIMITS ON LIABILITY AND INJURY LAWSUITS

The House of Representatives, voting largely along party lines, passed legislation Tuesday designed to sharply curtail the number of lawsuits brought in federal courts.

The so-called Attorneys Accountability Act, approved 232-193, seeks to encourage parties to settle lawsuits before trial by exposing either party to a risk of paying the opponent's legal costs.

The measure, the first of three the House will vote on this week, was swept along by a tide of anecdotes purporting to show that the American legal system is out of control, swamped with frivolous product liability and personal damage suits.

The bill was fashioned from the ``Contract With America,'' the House Republicans' campaign manifesto last fall. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

HOW THEY VOTED

VIRGINIA

Republicans - Herbert H. Bateman, No.

Democrats - Owen B. Pickett, No; Robert C. Scott, No; Norman

Sisisky, No..

NORTH CAROLINA

Republicans - Walter Jones Jr., Yes.

Democrats - Eva Clayton, No.

by CNB