American Museum of Tort Law to be Located in former Winsted Savings Bank Building

“The former Winsted Savings Bank building on 654 Main Street, Winsted, Connecticut will be the new home of the nation’s first law museum – the American Museum of Tort Law,” Ralph Nader announced today. The law of torts, invoked by plaintiffs when there is wrongful injury to persons and property, traces back centuries to the English common law.

The bank building, with its classic architecture, became available as a result of the merger of the Winsted Savings Bank with the Northwest Community Bank. The Winsted Savings Banks will be vacating the premises for the Museum’s occupancy sometime this fall. Appropriate renovations will commence at that time to reflect the requirements of Museum exhibits and the flow of visitors.

The exhibits are presently being designed and will include cases of historical precedent that built the edifice of the common law of torts as well as major cases of significance such as the judicial decisions in auto safety, tobacco, asbestos and invasion of privacy.

“The Museum will serve as a major educational institution regarding the rights and remedies available to the American people under the rule of law that holds injurious wrongdoers accountable and deters future wrongdoing,” added Nader.

More details will be forthcoming during the design and installation phases of this pioneering institution which hopes to be open within two years, said Nader. For Litchfield County, the new Museum will be a good tourist attraction along with the Litchfield Historical Society Tapping Reeve House & Litchfield Law School, which was the first established Law School in the United States during the late 18th and early 19th century.

A worldwide website will be developed to extend the reach of the Museum’s mission to include contemporary and future developments.