Are Fraudulent Claims More Likely as the Statute of Limitation Is Extended?
Yes. It is a fact that, when the quality of proof declines, the amount of fraud increases. Daniel Lyons’ September 2003 Forbes article, “Clergy Sex Scammers,” identified the “wicked twist in the Boston clergy sex-abuse scandal: Now that the [Archdiocese] has offered $85 million to settle 552 complaints, two leading plaintiff lawyers are suggesting some of the claims might be bogus.” This phenomenon repeated in the Diocese of Tucson bankruptcy. Soon after the settlement pot was fixed, the tort claimants committee itself began identifying the questionable claims. A panel appointed by the Bankruptcy judge eventually threw out 60 such claims.
