| YES |
NO |
|
DO YOU
FAVOR? |
| 97% |
3% |
1. |
Prohibiting lawsuits by persons if they are injured while commiting a crime? |
| 96% |
4% |
2. |
A 7-day grace (or mourning) period before lawyers can solicit possible accident victims or family member survivors? |
| 99% |
1% |
3. |
"Plain English" fee disclosure before a contract is signed with a lawyer and an explanation of all legal fees within 30 days of the resolution of a lawsuit? |
| 97% |
3% |
4. |
A 3-day "cooling-off" period giving the claimant the opportunity to cancel a contingency fee con-tract?
|
| 92% |
8% |
5. |
Exempting store owners from product lawsuits if they just sold the product and did not make it or alter it in any way?
|
| 91% |
9% |
6. |
A limit on the amount of punitive damages which may be awarded by a jury or court? Punitive damages are court awards made above and be-yond all damages (medical costs, lost income and pain and suffering) awarded to a victim.
|
| 88% |
12% |
7. |
A cap on the amount of non-economic compensatory damages which may be awarded by a jury or court? Non-economic loss means subjective, non-monetary loss such as pain, suffering, inconvenience, emotional destress.
|
| 92% |
8% |
8. |
Limits on how much a lawyer can receive as a fee? (Contingengy fees are usually a percentage- typically 30% to 40%- of damages recovered. If recovered damages are in the millions of dollars, a lawyer could make millions from a single suit.)
|
| 90% |
10% |
9. |
Requiring defendants to pay damages according to their degree of fault?
|
| 93% |
7% |
10. |
A rule which allows the court to reduce the amount of compensatory damages awarded if payments made for the injuries received were made by some collateral source such as workers compensation or Social Security? This would prevent the injured party from collecting two or three times for the same injury (i.e., double dipping).
|
| YES |
NO |
|
YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT OUR LEGAL SYSTEM? |
| 94% |
6% |
11. |
Do you feel there are too many frivolous lawsuits?
|
| 90% |
4% |
12. |
Do you feel the current system contributes to higher insurance costs for all insurance policy holders, even if a claim has never been filed against them?
|
| 90% |
100% |
13. |
Do you feel the current system contributes to higher taxes?
|
| 94% |
6% |
14. |
Do you feel the current system contributes to higher medical and health care costs for all?
|
| 81% |
19% |
15. |
Do you feel concerned about a frivolous lawsuit possibly being brought against you?
|
| 94% |
6% |
16. |
Do you favor penalties for lawyers who pursue frivolous lawsuits?
|
| YES |
NO |
|
TAX REFORM AND FAIRNESS |
| 87% |
13% |
1. |
Do you support a simpler system with fewer, broader-based taxes with lower rates?*
|
| 77% |
23% |
2. |
Do you favor replacing the personal property tax?
|
| 52% |
48% |
3. |
Would you favor a tax system that gives local governments more flexibility to tax and fund local services without depending on the state legislature?*
|
|
|
|
DO YOU AGREE? |
| 78% |
22% |
4. |
West Virginia's tax system is too complicated.
|
| 90% |
10% |
5. |
West Virginia's tax system is not sufficiently accountable.
|
| 63% |
37% |
6. |
West Virginia's tax system is unfair to low-income people.*
|
| HOW WOULD YOU RATE WEST VIRGINIA STATE TAXES? |
TOO
HIGH |
ABOUT
RIGHT |
TOO
LOW |
|
| 51% |
47% |
2% |
State Income Tax
|
| 71% |
29% |
0% |
State Sales Tax
|
| 89% |
11% |
0% |
State Food Tax
|
| 53% |
45% |
2% |
Local Property Tax
|
| 57% |
43% |
0% |
State Gasoline Tax
|
| 62% |
36% |
2% |
State Personal Property Tax
|
|
Click here to review the poll results for:
1997 | 1998 (Jan) |
1998 (Fall) | 1999
2000 | 2001 |
2002 | 2003 |
2004 | 2005 | 2006
| 2007
Are there state legislative issues that you would like to see in Delegate Overington's Citizen's Poll, if so please send an email with your thoughts for possible future consideration.
|
