Proposed bills favor insurance companies; hurt the public

Recently a series of sweeping proposed laws have been introduced in the Michigan Senate that are supposed to "reform" the law in Michigan regarding medical malpractice cases. The stated purpose of these of these bills is to "protect" patients and keep doctors from leaving the state. A review of the bills quickly reveals they have nothing to do with protecting patients. Instead they will make it virtually impossible for a patient injured or killed by a doctor's wrongdoing to bring a case in Michigan. Some key provisions in these bills would: * Bar a patient's case and create immunity so long as the doctor/healthcare provider "exercised their judgment" in providing care. * Bar a patient's case and create complete immunity unless the patient could prove the doctor was "grossly negligent" for care provided in the emergency room or that followed the emergency room in surgery, obstetrics and other care * Further reduce damages -- already limited and capped -- particularly for those with most severe, permanent injuries. It is hard to imagine how preventing cases unless a doctor was grossly negligent will protect patients. Instead it would make medical care far more dangerous. Saying the patient does not have a case because the doctor "exercised his judgment" would be like a driver running a red light and killing someone but not being held accountable because they exercised their judgment and thought the light was green. Or limiting a patient's right to recover damages even more than they already are. Most citizens are completely unaware that current law in Michigan limits (caps) damages at $424,000 in most cases. Currently jurors are not even allowed to be told this when cases go to trial. These protections, already in place, have resulted in an 80 percent drop in the number of malpractice cases and a nearly equal drop in the amount paid out in settlement of malpractice claims. Yet the proposed bills go even further. Rather than losing physicians, Michigan has seen a steady increase in the number of doctors year after year after year. Medical errors are currently responsible for more than a million needless injuries and deaths each year. With no accountability, those numbers will only increase in Michigan. Instead of negligent doctors and hospitals being held accountable for their misconduct, the costs of caring for those catastrophically injured or killed would be forced on employers and taxpayers in the form of more costly health insurance premiums and increased costs to Medicaid and Medicare. These proposals are bad law and very dishonest as written. They have nothing to do with protecting patients in Michigan. We urge voters to contact their State Senator and the Senators on the Insurance Committee by phone or email and ask them to oppose SB1110, 1115, 1116, 1117, and 1118. ---------- Steve Goethel was born and raised in Grand Rapids. A graduate of Michigan State University, Goethel worked his way through law school at night working days as a judicial clerk in the Oakland County Circuit Court. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America as well as the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association. His practice area includes all of Michigan. He takes pride representing the interests of the underprivileged and common individual against the large, corporate interests in health care and the insurance industry. Published: Fri, Jun 1, 2012

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