U.S. Chamber shields corporations, rigs legal system at consumers' expense
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from American Association for Justice CEO Jon Haber on the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007 (H.R. 3010 / S.1782) and U.S. Chamber's latest attempts to avoid corporate accountability while denying people justice through the legal system:
"U.S. Chamber and its corporate financers are lobbying to keep abusive, binding mandatory arbitration clauses as the status quo. Just ask Jamie Leigh Jones what she thinks of the status quo.
"Jamie was raped, drugged, beaten, and then confined to a shipping container by KBR/Halliburton employees while working in Iraq. Because of a clause placed in her employment contract, KBR is trying to force Jamie to submit to a binding, secret, non-appealable arbitration. These are the types of corporations U.S. Chamber is trying to protect.
"This abusive corporate practice affects all Americans. Car, nursing home, and credit card contracts almost always include clauses to eliminate access to the courts and force people into a costly private legal system that favors corporations. Arbitration can only be a valid and effective method of resolving disputes when both parties agree voluntarily, not when it is forced upon people to limit their legal rights.
"U.S. Chamber is protecting corporations that bury mandatory arbitration clauses in fine print while destroying the civil justice system."
As the world's largest trial bar, AAJ promotes justice and fairness for injured persons, defends the constitutional right to trial by jury, and strengthens the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information critical to public health and safety. Serving members worldwide, AAJ provides attorneys with the information and professional assistance they need to serve clients successfully and protect the democratic values of the civil justice system. Visit http://www.justice.org/.
American Association for Justice
