It's true! LAWYERS rule the United States!

Anaclaire · Jan 9, 2003

I found the link for the article and posted it to my original post.

Whew!

wv_nurse 2003 · Jan 9, 2003

Let me make myself clear upfront--I am in NO way defending lawyers in what I am about to say. That said--I think if we look back to the beginning of this viscious cycle, I think that early on we will find that physician's with a "you cover my ass I'll cover your's" philosophy may be as guilty. The medical profession has for years hidden their "incompetent" by being unwilling to stand up and say "you are right, he is a bad doctor--we will take his liscence, and he can no longer practice or hurt people" They felt if they turned on one of "their own", the same might happen to them.

The problem is multidimensional. People who pursue frivolous law suits, the lawyers who encourage them, and the jurors who think millions and millions are resonable settlements. And I think as nurses, we are all too aware that often times the people with a legitimate grounds for legal action often times aren't smart enough to know it--they trust the doctor did the best he could, end of story.

DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN · Jan 9, 2003

I read the article and basically what the good Dr is saying is true. There should be a cap on the cases and titrated for the extent of injury and such. When I lived in Alabama we had cases left and right against good Drs, and it was on issues that had no justification for recieving the amount of moneys it recieved. There will always be a miscalculation, misdiagnosis,mistreatment of somesort because we are all human and humans make mistakes.

There are also Drs out there that Should not be practicing, but somehow through some loop hole they do. Repeated cases of such should be an automatic dismissal of license and restitution, How many people need to die for this to come down to it? But also why should others pay for something that is out of thier control.

I know of a case where a family got 750 thousand because thier child was born with CP. It was a normal birthing, a long labor though and they contacted a lawyer because they heard that a C section could have prevented it. Well how do you fight against that, You can not prove that a C section could have prevented it, the child could have had the disease process prior to birth. But another Dr an expert witness testified that yes the Dr could have performed a C section. Thats all it took. Well Yes the Dr could have performed many things but the baby at no time became distressed to induce a c section manditory. The Dr is screwed.... he also only does office now, its a shame he was a great OB Dr.

Just my ramblings

Zoe.