Thursday, January 15, 2009

Confidentiality Agreements Undermine Justice, a Free Article from Clifford Law Offices

This article, "Confidentiality Agreements Undermine Justice," is an article now available free from Clifford Law Offices' web site at http://www.cliffordlaw.com. The Chicago law office is posting legal articles on their website in an effort to educate the public about legal matters. An introduction is provided, with a link to the full article.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 15, 2009 -- In the wake of the holiday season, children and adults alike are enjoying their gifts without giving much thought to the safety of the products. They may be doing so at their own risk.

With the proliferation of confidentiality agreements as part of many recent products liability settlements, the traditional method for resolving product safety is being circumvented and harmed. That means that instead of telling the public about known harms, people who have been hurt agree to a lawsuit's settlement being held confidential. Although there is a respect for one's privacy involved, the safety of others can be compromised. The question comes down to the balancing of privacy concerns versus the benefit to public safety when settlements are disclosed.

Robert Clifford, nationally renowned personal injury attorney based out of Chicago, wrote about the deleterious effects of confidentiality agreements on public safety in a piece originally published in Chicago Lawyer titled, "Confidentiality Agreements Undermine Justice."

In the article Clifford clearly lays out the case against confidentiality agreements by demonstrating how disclosure aids public safety and, as a prescription for the future, points to the "sunshine" laws in Florida and South Carolina as a step in the right direction.

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[Via Legal / Law]

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