Lost Rights for the Injured a “Bad Bargain” that Fixes Nothing

Lost Rights for the Injured a “Bad Bargain” that Fixes Nothing

• June 6, 2011
• By Gerard Devita
• 

The facts are always a better source of information than the rhetoric spewed by special interest groups.   Anthony Tarricone in the Huffington Post does a fine job of laying out some of the data concerning those among us who suffer injuries or death due to medical mistakes.  He does what we all should do: focus on the rights of those who are injured and how we should strive to prevent those injuries in the first place.   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-tarricone/tort-reform-a-bad-bargain_b_294896.html

The Harvard Study concerning lawsuits referenced by Mr. Tarricone was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  It goes a long way towards debunking the relentless attacks of those seeking to cripple the civil justice system for their own purposes with the unfounded conclusion that frivilous claims are the root of our problems.  The Harvard School of Public Health makes it clear that quite the opposite is true: the vast majority of the administrative costs associated with the malpractice system are tied to resolving claims that have merit. Finding ways to streamline the lengthy and costly processing of meritorious claims should be the target of those seeking reform. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2006-releases/press05102006.html