Giuliani talks 9/11, tort reform and leadership

CORPUS CHRISTI -- On the eve of the 14th anniversary of terrorist attacks Sept. 11, former New York Mayor Rudolph "Rudy" Giuliani shared his most familiar memories with Coastal Bend residents.

"I know I will see the man who jumped out of the top of the building. I see him almost every day," Giuliani said to a group of mostly lawyers at the American Bank Center. "I know what will also come back is the heroism of the police officers and the firefighters."

Giuliani, revered for his leadership after the attacks and praised for cleaning New York City's crime-ridden streets in the 1990s, spoke Thursday at the Bay Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse annual luncheon. Giuliani has long been a proponent for tougher laws on lawsuits and has praised Texas laws. Texas limits the amount of money a party can be awarded for pain and suffering.

During Giuliani's tenure as mayor, he said the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. paid out between $500 million and $600 million each year in damage claims. Outside of the hospital system, Giuliani told a story about a man who a jury awarded $4 million after he tripped on New York City streets and became paralyzed.

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