2007 Update on US Tort Cost Trends

US tort costs totalled $247bn in 2006, which is approximately $825 per person and $57 less per person than in 2005, according to the “2007 Update on US Tort Cost Trends” from Tillinghast Towers Perrin. Tort costs declined by 5.5% in 2006, significantly lower than the growth rate of 0.4% in 2005, 6% in 2004 and 5.5% in 2003. The $13.4bn decrease over tort costs in 2005 marks the first downward trend since 1997.