Monthly Journalism Award
The Washington Monthly Journalism Award FOR MAY 1993 IS PRESENTED TO Richard B. Schmitt The Wall Street Journal Wonder what's wrong with the American legal system? According to this colorful...
...Nominations for any newspaper, magazine, or radio or television station in the country are welcome...
...Schmitt suggests that Ms...
...The winner will be announced in the December issue...
...McColm, who has prevailed in about half her cases, is an example of "the tendency of many thousands of Americans to file questionable suits in hopes of inducing defendants, usually insurers, to settle for less than the cost of litigation...
...According to this colorful account of the many trials of Patricia McColm, a former San Francisco soap-opera actress and self-described "citizen litigant," excessive lawsuits rank high on the problem chart...
...in just one case against the state of California, she cost taxpayers $132,824...
...In the last 15 years, Schmitt recounts, Ms...
...Please send nominations to Monthly Journalism Award, 1611 Connecticut Ave...
...The Monthly Journalism Award is presented each month to the best newspaper, magazine, television, or radio story (or series of stories) on our political system...
...September 1993/The Washington Monthly 41...
...She's a flamboyant reason, the piece makes clear, that we desperately need tort reform in the courts...
...McColm has pursued 30 lawsuits: "She alleges more than a dozen personal injuries, resulting from assaults, batteries, defamation and false imprisonment, among other wrongs...
...Nominations for stories published or aired in August will close September 15...
...The subject can be government in its federal, state, or municipal manifestation...
...Two copies of the article or broadcast text should accompany the nomination...
...20009...
...NW, Washington, D.C...
...All of her insurance cases drive up everybody's costs...
...She claims to have fallen in two department stores, been injured by a door at a Bank of America branch, and had her foot run over by a grocery cart...
Vol. 25 • September 1993 • No. 9
