COLUMBIA, S.C. - A mountain of amendments stood in the way of a bill that would limit liability and jury awards in lawsuits, dashing efforts by House supporters who wanted to quickly agree with a Senate version of the legislation.

The Senate approved a House bill last week, and House supporters wanted to quickly give it final approval after passing the body passed the state budget Tuesday.

But Rep. James Smith, D-Columbia, said the bill has a fundamental flaw. He carted 11 boxes stuffed with about 8,000 amendments to the House floor. There were so many that Rep. Doug Jennings, D-Bennettsville, said he would have added more than a dozen or so amendments but Smith "used all the paper."

Smith said the bill would leave accident victims with less or no money.

"Everybody agreed it was inequitable," Smith said. But "we couldn't get everybody in the same room to talk about it." The paper blizzard "certainly did that," he said.

Supporters immediately invoked a House rule that prevents representatives from adding to the pile of amendments and limited debate to six minutes.

Even then, it would take more than a month to dispose of the amendments.

Supporters huddled and came up with a plan to introduce a second piece of legislation that would address Smith's concerns. They got key lawsuit limit supporters in the Senate to agree to passing that bill, but Smith said they weren't hitting the mark.

Just before 6:30 p.m., hopes for going home early this week faded.

"We obviously have not reached an accord on the language on that second bill," said House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville. Wilkins hoped that could be worked out overnight.

"If we don't have an agreement, we're going to be here a long time and for a lot of days," Wilkins said. That also could scuttle plans the House had to take next week off. "It is my intention not to go home without dealing with tort reform because I do not think we should take a week off with tort reform on the calendar," Wilkins said before the House adjourned.

Smith said it would be better to simply amend the bill instead of passing a second bill to clean it up. "Why pass a flawed piece of legislation?" he asked. There's no way to be certain the Senate will pass that bill, he said.

As it stands now, the legislation says:

_ People injured in accidents would collect less in lawsuits from defendants whose share of blame is under 50 percent.

_ People will have to bring lawsuits in the counties where an injury occurred or where the defendant lives or does business. Supporters say that will end the practice of shopping for a place most likely to yield a sympathetic jury or large settlement.

_ Homeowners and others would have to discover shoddy construction within eight years of buying a new home or building or the could not sue. The current law is 13 years.

_ Lawyers would face sanctions for filing frivolous lawsuits or motions.

_ Interest on lawsuit awards would be set at the prime rate plus four percentage points. It's now fixed at 12 percent.