Palmetto State News

South Carolina's prominent small business advocacy group, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), announced it will key-vote on S.244, a piece of legislation aimed at reducing lawsuit abuse in the state. The bill is scheduled for a vote in the full Senate on Wednesday.

Ben Homeyer, NFIB State Director, emphasized the importance of this action: “By key-voting S.244, we’re making sure senators understand that small business owners overwhelmingly support this critical legislation and that we’ll report every vote on this bill to our members, their constituents."

Homeyer elaborated on the stance of NFIB members regarding legal compensation: “Our members believe people have a right to seek compensation if they’ve been wronged, but too often, lawsuits are filed just to take advantage of the system,” he said. He expressed concern over unjust financial burdens placed on businesses due to opportunistic legal actions: “You shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s mistake just because their lawyer thinks you might have deeper pockets."

Addressing the broader implications of lawsuit abuse, Homeyer stated: “Lawsuit abuse drives up insurance costs, which drives up the cost of doing business in South Carolina.” He described S.244 as "commonsense legislation" designed to mitigate frivolous claims by ensuring fair liability distribution among defendants.