Hot off the wire, it looks like Senator Greenleaf has introduced a real tort reform bill in Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA, May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (PaTLA) today welcomed legislation recently introduced in the state legislature: a Senate bill that levels the playing field for victims of bad faith on the part of insurance companies and a House bill designed to help consumers make more informed choices when purchasing automobile insurance.

Senate Bill 745 introduced by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf would allow juries to determine fault and award damages in bad faith insurance cases. Currently in Pennsylvania, only a judge can decide bad faith, while in federal court juries make the decision in such cases. "If a jury is competent enough to decide cases involving negligence or criminal conduct-and it is--we should have confidence in them to make a determination of whether an insurance company was wrong in denying or stonewalling a claim," said Ruben Honik, President of PaTLA. "The founding fathers knew the jury system would work 200 years ago and it works today."

Source: State Trial Lawyers Applaud Bills Protecting Rights of Pennsylvania Consumers - - insurancenewsnet.com

Count on the insurers fighting tooth and nail against being forced to endure a fair trial.  And also count on the "reform" movement claiming this bill is bad public policy and either a handout or a payback to the trial bar.

Cross-posted to TortDeform