[SoCal Pubbie]

I think I understand the gist of your post, but if you explain the changes, I guess the overall themes or philosophy, behind those changes since 1960, I would appreciate it. Also, if there was one single case that year or if that was an approximate date you picked.

[marktwain]

The whole theory of tort law was changed, starting in the middle 50's, as I recall.

Here is an article from 1965 that deals with some of the changes.

Some of the other changes:

Allowing lawyers to advertise;

Encouraging lawsuits instead of discouraging them;

Enormous expansion of the "Joint and Severable" liability concept;

The rise of the class action lawsuit;

Here is another source

Essentially, tort law was changed to make if much, much easier for plaintiffs to collect damages, thus skewing the entire court system in favor of more lawsuits, and not coincidentally, I think, in favor of enormous flows of money to lawyers.

Tort lawyers are one of the biggest political forces in the U.S.