Legal Abuse — The Nation's Biggest Hellholes

The Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) has been working overtime to educate the U.S. populace about the abuse of the nation’s legal system. Most of that abuse comes at the hands of trial attorneys. 

The Triple-I says it has a huge impact on consumers and consumer pricing. 

First, a definition. The Triple-I defines legal system abuse as the exploitation of the civil justice system. That exploitation causes costs to increase and undermines legal system fairness. It expands liability way beyond the original intent of the legislation that set up that liability. 

Worse, it encourages excessive legislation. 

Triple-I CEO Sean Kevelighan said tort reform — or state-level laws regulating litigation — is the strategy being used now to battle legal system abuse. 

"This isn't just about prices rising in the economy; it's about the cost of our legal system escalating beyond sustainable levels,” Kevelighan said. "Recognizing and addressing legal system abuse is essential to managing costs and protecting consumers.” 

As part of its ongoing campaign to highlight legal system abuse, the Triple-I has listed the worst places in the country for legal system abuse. The organization calls them Judicial Hellholes. They’re places with plaintiff-friendly laws and high jury awards. 

They are so friendly to trial attorneys that they often shop these courts even though the suit being filed sometimes isn’t related to that area. To increase business, they also load up those areas with high-pressure television ads and billboards. 

These are the top Judicial Hellholes® in the U.S. in 2026 as noted by the American Tort Reform Foundation. 

1. Los Angeles, California

Estimated annual "tort tax" on state residents: $2,458.33

Estimate of the number of jobs lost because of the economic impact: 829,255

Dollars trail attorney firms spend on advertising from January 2024 to June of 2025: $275.5 million 

2. New York City

Estimated annual "tort tax" on state residents: $2,534.85

Estimate of the number of jobs lost because of the economic impact: 427,794

Dollars trail attorney firms spend on advertising from January 2024 to June of 2025: $49.51 million 

3. South Carolina

Estimated annual "tort tax" on state residents: $886.46

Estimate of the number of jobs lost because of the economic impact: 40,779

Dollars trail attorney firms spend on advertising from January 2024 to June of 2025: $115.7 million 

4. Lousiana

Estimated annual "tort tax" on state residents: $1,011.24 but twice that much for people in New Orleans

Estimate of the number of jobs lost because of the economic impact: 39,823

Dollars trail attorney firms spend on advertising from January 2024 to June of 2025: $74.0 million 

5. Philadelphia

Estimated annual "tort tax" on state residents: $1,451.24

Estimate of the number of jobs lost because of the economic impact: 163,115

Dollars trail attorney firms spend on advertising from January 2024 to June of 2025: $76.6 million 

6. St. Louis, Missouri

Estimated annual "tort tax" on state residents: $1,216.48

Estimate of the number of jobs lost because of the economic impact: 65,028

Dollars trail attorney firms spend on advertising from January 2024 to June of 2025: $41.0 million 

7. Cook, Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois

Estimated annual "tort tax" on state residents: $1,119.28

Estimate of the number of jobs lost because of the economic impact: 208,411

Dollars trail attorney firms spend on advertising from January 2024 to June of 2025: $110.42 million 

8. King County, Washington

Estimated annual "tort tax" on state residents: $2,558.19

Estimate of the number of jobs lost because of the economic impact: 172,624

Dollars trail attorney firms spend on advertising from January 2024 to June of 2025: $28.96 million 

Source link: PropertyCasualty360.com — https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2026/02/19/top-insurance-litigation-hellholes-in-2026/?kw=Top%20insurance%20litigation%20%27hellholes%27%20in%202026&utm_position=7&utm_source=email&utm_medium=enl&utm_campaign=dailynews&utm_content=20260220&utm_term=pc360&enlcmp=nltrplt2&oly_enc_id=5212C5524589E2Z&user