Although earlier controversy focused on insurance affordability and availability and the presidential campaign focused on the role of lawyers in society and on concerns and disagreements about the magnitude of civil litigation, the costs of resolving liability claims and the outcomes of personal injury cases were central to both. Following a review of filing trends, verdicts, and costs associated with civil liability cases, the author concludes that the civil liability system continues to grow. Growth patterns, however, are far more complex and difficult to explain than was suggested in the recent presidential campaign. New data support the idea that the tort liability system encompasses multiple worlds of litigation, but these data raise questions about what is actually going on in each world. A program of sustained research on litigation behavior and outcomes is essential to assess trends in and improve the civil liability system. 13 footnotes, 2 tables, and 3 figures