U.S. Tort Litigation Costs Exceed $656 Billion, Study Finds
A U.S. Chamber of Commerce study finds tort lawsuit costs hit nearly $656B in 2025, burdening each American household with more than $4,900.
U.S. tort litigation costs climbed to nearly $656 billion in 2025, outpacing overall economic growth and placing a financial burden of more than $4,900 on every American household, according to a new study released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform.
The findings underscore a long-running concern among business groups that the country's civil litigation system imposes costs that ripple beyond courtrooms and corporate balance sheets, ultimately landing on consumers and families in the form of higher prices and reduced affordability.
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The report's release comes as lawmakers and advocacy groups on multiple sides of the tort reform debate continue to clash over whether litigation constraints protect corporate interests at the expense of injured plaintiffs, or whether unchecked lawsuit costs suppress economic activity and inflate household expenses nationwide.
The Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform has historically used such data to press for legislative changes at both the state and federal level, arguing that reining in litigation expenses would ease inflationary pressures on goods and services. Critics of tort reform measures, however, contend that civil lawsuits remain a critical accountability mechanism for individuals harmed by corporate negligence.
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