Sixteen-year-old Tara Ransom is alive today thanks to a silicone hydrocephalus shunt. But there�s no guarantee that when she needs a new shunt in the near future that one will be available to her. Many manufacturers of silicone medical products used for pacemakers, defibrillators and life-saving shunts are cutting back or ceasing development and production out of fear of litigation. Tara�s mother, Linda Ransom:

"My daughter�s life depends on a silicone brain shunt but, because of greedy trial lawyers and frivolous lawsuits, there�s no guarantee that one will be available in the future when she needs it. If people go to sickoflawsuits-dot-org, they can get information and they can join what they call the �Million E-mail March.�"

The Department of Health and Human Services notes that when patients do decide to sue, up to 70 percent of the time they do not receive payment. The typical lawyer�s fee is up to 50 percent of any award plus expenses. In 2002 that amounted to 40-billion dollars.

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