Texas “Loser Pays” Signed Into Law: In This Fictional Future Scenario, the Big “Loser” is Rick Perry

Rick Perry signed the new "Loser Pays" statute into law today. So, here is my wish for Mr. anti-justice’s political future:

1. A new statute is enacted that applies "loser pays" to political campaigns and campaign contributions.

2. Perry raises a ton of cash from corporate contributors, then loses his bid for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

3. Under the new law and because he is such a staunch advocate for a "loser pays" system, he is forced to put his money where his mouth is and repay all of his campaign contributors. He tries to argue against reimbursing his contributors on grounds that "loser pays" would have a ‘chilling effect’ on getting qualified canididates to run for office. Sounds eerily similar to arguments about whether seriously injured plaintiffs would be willing to take the "loser pays" risk to file otherwise legitimate lawsuits for fear of losing, but Perry wouldn’t listen to those legitimate arguments then, and nobody is listening to his bitching, now.

4. After losing the Republican nomination and being broke from repaying all of his contributors, he does the only sensible thing he can think of under the circumstances. Despite abandoning Texas for his national political ambitions, he runs for re-election as Governor of Texas. Again, he calls on campaign contributors to ante-up and he builds a huge war-chest. Because he is an anti-justice, pro-corporation, anti-citizen, "pray for rain" moron, the voters, overwhelmingly, turn him away and elect his opponent. Under "loser pays", Perry, again, has to repay all contributors and has no cash left to do so. He files for bankruptcy, a social justice remedy that allow people in serious debt to discharge all debts to avoid collection efforts. Since all of Perry’s contributions came from corporate America, he decides to stiff all of those corporations that he bailed out when it comes to causing serious injuries to citizens and accepting responsibility for corporate negligence. But, when Perry’s own fortune or misfortune at stake, he finds the Lord (again), and decides that taking advantage of pro-citizen, anti-corporation, statutes, suddenly, seems like an outstanding idea.

5. His debts are discharged and he leaves public life. Because of his economic "issues", he begins eating at fast-food restaurants. He suffers 3rd degree burns while sipping a cup of too- hot, fast-food, coffee. He tries to get to a hospital that will accept patients with limited ability to pay, but is involved in a pedestrian/bus accident, suffering serious leg injuries. The hospital won’t see him, because of legislation that he sponsored that ended free medical assistance for poor people. Because of tort reform legislation that he lobbied for and passed while he was governor, the civil justice system turns him away and he collects nothing for all of his injuries. Seriously burned and infected, in a splint for apparent leg fractures, he is last seen in a rowboat, heading for Cuba, where medical assistance is provided, free, for all.

Mark M. Bello is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation where he is instrumental in providing cash flow solutions and consulting when necessity of life lawsuit funding is needed during litigation. Mr. Bello has thirty-four years experience as a trial lawyer and 13 years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the litigation funding industry. Mr. Bello is a sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association, Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Member of the American and Michigan Bar Associations, Member of the Public Justice Foundation, out-of-state member of the Mississippi Association for Justice and a business associate of the Florida Justice Association, Tennessee Association for Justice, Central Ohio Association for Justice and the Consumer Attorneys of California. He is also a proud member of the InjuryBoard.