Infographic: America, The Lawsuit-Happy Nation

EconMatters

According to the latest BLS national wage estimate through May 2010, the mean annual salary for lawyers was

around $129,440

, which partly accounts for the fact that the U.S. has one of the highest number of lawyers per capita in the world.

Based on data from the American Bar Association, there are

over 1.2 million lawyers

in the United States. That's

one attorney for every 254 Americans

, which also makes some of the stunning statistics (and what a waste of resources) illustrated in the infographic below somewhat "logical":

15 million lawsuits will be filed in 2011 across the U.S.
A new lawsuit every 2 seconds
One lawsuit for every 12 adults
21 U.S. states are facing a medical liability crisis
$248.1 billion = the cost to the U.S. tort system (personal injury) in 2009, or $808 per person
The cost per capita of tort related lawsuits has increased 800% between 1950 to 2009

The Great Recession may have diminished the ability of lawyers to command a higher salary, but probably at the same time also has increased the likelihood of frivolous litigation, as the odds are good for some kind of settlement to avoid an even more costly trial, particularly when insurance companies are involved.

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August 27, 2011

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