Liars figure, but figures don't lie

Mark Samuels, Illinois State Capitol Bureau Chief for Lee Enterprises, writes in Illinois Conservative Politics: "...The problem is not just the fault of litigious trial lawyers. Blame must also go to medical care that is overpriced, malingering patients who see an opportunity for a quick buck, physicians who make mistakes - and greedy insurance companies."

Samuels backs up his opinion with facts and figures from Weiss Ratings. (Weiss is like Underwriters Laboratory in evaluating products. The research firm evaluates the financial strength of more than 15,000 companies every quarter. It tracks more than 12,000 mutual funds and more than 9,000 stocks. The U.S. General Accounting Office says Weiss' insurance ratings are more accurate than any of the other rating agencies.)