Health Care Industry Seeks to Limit Victim's Rights

The health care industry is lobbying state legislators in Albany to pass a bill which would severely limit the rights of all victims of medical malpractice. The proposed bill would limit or “cap” pain and suffering compensation in all medical malpractice cases to $250,000, even for the most damaging medical mistakes, including those that leave a patient blind, paralyzed, brain damaged, disfigured, infertile or otherwise gravely injured for life. Caps would shield doctors and hospitals from the full consequences of their negligence. This bill was tacked onto a recommendation on ways to reduce the budget, even though it has nothing to do with the budget. This bill would also take away the rights of babies who suffer brain damage at birth due to medical negligence to be fully compensated in a court of law for their injuries. Instead, these children would receive very limited coverage for their future medical costs from a newly created state bureaucratic fund -- under conditions which would ensure that they will never receive the quality of care they need and deserve. Meanwhile, negligent hospitals and doctors will not be responsible for paying any of those costs. That’s wrong. If hospitals, doctors and insurance companies want to save money it should not be on the backs of innocents victims of medical negligence. The best solution to reducing costs is to reduce medical errors and the injuries they cause. The proposal has been criticized by many consumer oriented groups including the American Association of Retired Persons, and the New York Public Interest Group, as well as the New York State Bar Association and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. Tell Albany: Protect Victims and Stand up for Patients Rights.

Please write to your state

legislators and urge them to vote

“NO” to arbitrary caps on damages

and “NO” to taking away the rights

of brain damaged babies, by

clicking on to:

www.protectnypatients.org