Most grievances never become court cases because claimants drop out at each stage
Evidence
Overall, most people resolve their grievances outside the legal system. Thus a national survey of 1,000 randomly selected households found that of 1,000 grievances, only 718 resulted in claims. Those 718 claims led to only 449 disputes. In only 103 of those disputes were lawyers consulted, and in only 50 was a case filed in court.” Three factors explain why people are reluctant to take their disputes to court. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2186
Categorization
- XREF: Quantifies the gap between injury and litigation that Galanter’s ‘Why the Haves Come Out Ahead’ treats as the baseline of dispute processing. — connects to: Only a tiny fraction of grievances ever become lawsuits — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2186; An unresolved dispute raises credit costs the courts never compensate for. — Lisa Bernestein, Opting out of the Legal System, 155; Frivolous suits rarely win; courts dismiss nearly all such claims. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2306
- SHARE: The 1,000 grievances to 50 court filings funnel is a perfect one-number argument for anyone who thinks Americans are litigation-happy.
Broader Connections
- Only a tiny fraction of grievances ever become lawsuits
#corroborates(1.00) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2186 - An unresolved dispute raises credit costs the courts never compensate for.
#complicates(1.00) — Lisa Bernestein, Opting out of the Legal System, 155 - Frivolous suits rarely win; courts dismiss nearly all such claims.
#complicates(1.00) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2306