Some lawyers will lead you to believe that a quick monetary recovery is standard operating procedure for the type of case they handle for you. That’s true only if your legal problem is not of a serious nature to you. And if it’s not serious to you, it won’t be serious to your well-armed opposition, which will usually consist of a major corporation, a governmental entity or an insurance company. The truth is, lawsuits are often battles. They are endurance contests. And while a quick and fair resolution of your claim is the immediate goal, the road to justice is frequently arduous. WWM is accustomed to traveling that road with our clients.

Why is it so difficult? There are many reasons. The biggest is the fact that corporations, including insurance companies and financial institutions, are powerful entities. They have resources that cannot be matched by the individual who has been wronged by them. Equally important, they have used these resources to secure the election of judges and legislators who bend over backwards to protect them at your expense.

For example, recent studies indicate that the Texas Supreme Court overwhelmingly sides with business and insurance interests, against individuals, when deciding cases. Texas Watch, a consumer organization, said this about the 1999-2000 term of the court:

The Texas Supreme Court continued . . . stripping consumers, employees and children of needed protections and shielding corporate defendants from responsibility. . . . The court released opinions that will have a lasting and harmful effect on workplace safety, premises safety, product safety, insurance consumers and small-dollar claimants. The 1999-2000 term follows a period in which the court dismantled many of the most important consumer protection laws in Texas.

The situation has not improved in the succeeding years. But it’s not only the courts. For the last 15 years, the Texas Legislature has been on an anti-people mission to pass laws restricting your ability to fight irresponsibility. They regularly seek to limit your access to the courts, your right to a jury trial, and your right to recover what has been taken from you.

What can you do to keep the powerful interests from disarming you of your most basic protections of citizenship? First, register to vote. The ballot box is the greatest safeguard of the rights of honest citizens–particularly of the injured and abused. Pick up a voter registration card at your nearest post office or other government offices, or get one on-line by clicking here.

Second, educate yourself about the civil justice system and the protections it provides you against overreaching by powerful interests. Do not be fooled by advertisements calling for "tort reform," or by campaigns to "end lawsuit abuse." These ventures are brought to you courtesy of large corporate and insurance concerns who seek to curb your rights as a citizen in order to enhance their pocketbooks.

Third, know your elected officials. To find your state senator and state representative, click here. Write them and make your views known on matters that affect you, your family and your friends.

Finally, in spite of the inconvenience, when called for jury duty accept it willingly. Service as a juror is one of the highest callings of citizenship. It is the American jury system that has set this country apart from all others and helps insure that the "advantaged" cannot profit at the expense of the disadvantaged.

WWM holds these beliefs strongly. If you share these views–or if you are simply interested in knowing more about how the civil justice system protects your rights–please go to our "links" page and click on the appropriate category.