[arthurus]

It is not so much the tort system itself. Back in the early 60s and before, judges showed some discretion and simply threw these things out of court and almost no lawyers would touch "frivolous" lawsuits and meritless lawsuits. In the 60s law schools started graduating students who had taken the eventually required Critical Law courses which essentially teach students that the law can and should be used to break down the whole idea of Law to promote the liberal Utopia. Some of these lawyers became judges and the whole concept of "frivolous" and "meritless" lawsuits almost completely disappeared.
A jury when presented with an absurd suit knows that a judge has approved of the suit going forward so the jurors think that it must have merit and deals with it accordingly.

[BenLurkin]

A jury when presented with an absurd suit knows that a judge has approved of the suit going forward so the jurors think that it must have merit and deals with it accordingly.

Truer words were never spoken.