Lawsuits Deter Wrongdoers and Promote Public Safety
December 2025
The threat of a lawsuit can deter a wrongdoer from acting in a harmful or negligent way. A potential lawsuit provides an incentive to drivers on the road, businesses and healthcare providers to act in a responsible way. A lawsuit provides deterrence in two main ways. The first is a financial incentive to avoid wrong doing. Risky behavior can lead to a financial payout to an injured person. The second deterrent is the exposure mechanisms of lawsuits. In civil cases, lawyers are allowed to conduct discovery. The discovery process allows for a plaintiff to ask questions and get documents from the defendant. Through this process, the plaintiff is often able to expose behavior that is dangerous or not in compliance with regulations or the standard of care. If the expected financial cost of a lawsuit is high and the potential exists for risky behavior to be exposed, the defendant has a strong incentive to comply.
At Herrick & Hart, we see the benefits to society as whole that come from lawsuits. Every person in the United States is safer today and less likely to be injured because of careless behavior.
If you or a loved on have been injured due the negligence of another, take the time to find experienced trial counsel. At Herrick & Hart, we have been on the side of the injured since 1951.