Legislative limits or changes or judicial reform of the rules governing medical malpractice lawsuits and other lawsuits. Tort simply refers to law suit. Reform implies that limits can be placed on individual rights to sue or on the amounts or situations for which they can seek relief. Tort is considered to be by some as the primary cause of the rising costs of health care. Reform, then, would lower health care costs. On the other hand, patient advocates are against tort reform, claiming that the health care industry and managed care industries require monitoring and that law suits keep health care providers and payers in check. Congress debates tort reform each session, but, to date, few restrictions have been placed on tort cases.

Efforts to change the procedural or substantive rules for malpractice claims in the judicial system. Examples include reductions in statutes of limitations, mandatory offsets for collateral sources of payment, caps on non-economic damages, periodic payments of large awards, and limits on attorneys' contingency fees.

Legislation that makes changes to a state's civil justice system. Common tort reform measures include mandatory caps on awards for punitive or non-economic damages, adjustment of the statute of limitations, etc.

a change in the tort law