News

Obesity lawsuit ban passes U.S. House of Reps

March 10, 2004

WASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation (276 to 139) on March 10 to prevent people from suing restaurant companies for serving food they claim made them obese.

According multiple news sources, the bill would protect companies that serve or manufacture food, but it would not stave off claims if a food maker knowingly violated a federal or state statute.

In a Wall Street Journal report, Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio called attorneys seeking to file obesity-related suits "greedy, bloodsucking (and) immoral."

The White House supports the legislation, authored by Rep. Ric Keller, R-Fla., as does the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). According to a National Restaurant Association news release, tort reform advocates such as the American Tort Reform Association and the Institute for Legal Reform, also back the bill.

"The notion of holding restaurants and food companies legally responsible for choices all of us freely make each day, such as what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat, is absurd," NRA President and CEO Steven C. Anderson said in the release. "We applaud the House of Representatives for saying today that the trial lawyers and legal system should not be allowed to run amok on small businesses."

Consumers appear to support such legislation as well. A 2003 Gallup survey found that nearly 90 percent of people oppose blaming food companies for obesity-related issues. However, according to the Journal, U.S. senators might not agree, as many on both sides of the aisle receive contributions from trial lawyers who potentially would try obesity cases.

** Help the restaurant industry support this legislation by signing PizzaMarketplace's petitionto prohibit obesity-related lawsuits.