History Nerds United Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors with Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Feb 3, 2026
Elizabeth Chamblee Burch, a law professor and author who studies mass torts, discusses The Pain Brokers. She explores call centers and scripts that funneled plaintiffs, data mining of medical records, and how nonlawyer actors and crooked doctors enabled surgical scams. She also covers kickbacks, asset hiding, and ideas to reform incentives in mass tort litigation.
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Mass Torts Operate Like The Wild West
- Mass torts lack class-action protections and feel like the litigation Wild West.
- Elizabeth Chamblee Burch says mass torts remove safeguards for absent plaintiffs and invite more chaotic practices.
Tort Reform Often Targets Plaintiffs' Lawyers
- Corporations push tort reform by attacking plaintiff lawyers to undermine claims.
- Burch says some attacks are warranted but many aim to weaken victims' ability to sue big companies.
Call Centers Funnel Potential Plaintiffs
- Calls that seem to reach a local lawyer often hit offshore call centers in places like India or Alabama.
- Burch describes hot transfers and scripted coaching that funnel victims into the tort pipeline.
