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Mississippi Gov. to Sign Tort Reform Bill

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is expected to sign a tort reform bill Wednesday that places limits on civil lawsuits and jury awards in the state. The bill passed during a special session of the state legislature last week.

Effective Sept. 1, the law will introduce several changes to Mississippi's civil justice system, including capping pain-and-suffering damage awards at $1 million in most lawsuits and $500,000 in medical malpractice cases. Proponents say the measure is a necessary step towards reforming the state's legal system, but opponents claim it protects businesses at the expense of average citizens. NPR's Jack Speer reports.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jack Speer
Jack Speer is a newscaster at NPR in Washington, DC. In this role he reports, writes, edits, and produces live hourly updates which air during NPR programming.
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