Product Liability:
Verdicts in Massachusetts for 1983-85
HRD-91-8: Published: Oct 26, 1990. Publicly Released: Oct 26, 1990.
Additional Materials:
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GAO provided information on 66 product liability cases resolved in Massachusetts between 1983 and 1985, focusing on the: (1) accidents, parties, plaintiffs' allegations and demands, and case processing time; (2) rate and size of awards; and (3) frequency of post-trial award adjustments and the size of actual payments to plaintiffs.
GAO found that, in Massachusetts: (1) most accidents involved machinery, where plaintiffs suffered personal injury mainly due to alleged defendant negligence; (2) case processing time was longer than that in four other states despite the requirement of prejudgment interest accrual for quick resolution; (3) defendants' liability rates were lower than those in four other states, but extremely large awards accounted for the majority of the total amount awarded; (4) no punitive damages were awarded, since they were limited to death cases; and (5) post-trial action reduced payments by 23 percent despite the addition of prejudgment interest.
Nov 23, 2020
Consumer Privacy:
Better Disclosures Needed on Information Sharing by Banks and Credit UnionsGAO-21-36: Published: Oct 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 23, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
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Consumer Product Safety Commission:
Actions Needed to Improve Processes for Addressing Product Defect CasesGAO-21-56: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Oct 30, 2020
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Small Business Loans:
SBA Generally Incorporated Key Elements for Estimating Subsidy Cost of 7(a) ProgramGAO-20-618: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 30, 2020.
Oct 13, 2020
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Aviation Consumer Protection:
Increased Transparency Could Help Build Confidence in DOT's Enforcement ApproachGAO-21-109: Published: Oct 13, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 13, 2020.
Oct 1, 2020
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Small Business Administration:
COVID-19 Loans Lack Controls and Are Susceptible to FraudGAO-21-117T: Published: Oct 1, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 1, 2020.
Sep 30, 2020
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Small Business Research Programs:
Many Agencies' Award Issuances Are Not Timely; Some Practices May Improve TimelinessGAO-20-693: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020.
Sep 28, 2020
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Intellectual Property:
Additional Agency Actions Can Improve Assistance to Small Businesses and InventorsGAO-20-556: Published: Aug 27, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 28, 2020.
Jul 30, 2020
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Small Business Contracting:
Better Documentation and Reporting Needed on Procurement Center RepresentativesGAO-20-462: Published: Jun 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2020.
Jun 29, 2020
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Small Business Subcontracting:
Oversight of Contractor Compliance with Subcontracting Plans Needs ImprovementGAO-20-464: Published: May 28, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 29, 2020.
Jun 22, 2020
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Small Business Development Centers:
Reevaluation of How SBA Sets Initial Funding Estimate Needed to Help Reduce BurdenGAO-20-457: Published: May 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 22, 2020.
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