Big Businesses Trying to Take Away Rights of Injured Patients
One of the most basic tenets of our democratic system is liberty and justice for all. When American citizens suffer a miscarriage of justice, courts often step in to provide a much-needed remedy for the pain and suffering caused at the hands of irresponsible parties. But the vital protection that this system provides is under attack from large corporations that are trying to take away rights from the victims that they harm.
A group of insurance companies and other big businesses are pushing legislation that would limit the amount of damages a medical malpractice victim could receive. This self-serving move only adds to the pain that so many vulnerable patients have suffered by preventing them from recovering the full compensation that they deserve.
Caps on damages and higher burdens of proof are just a couple of ways that large companies are trying to limit the power of juries. U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R. Ga.) recently introduced legislation that would cap noneconomic damages at $250,000 and make punitive damages impossible. This would effectively result in a windfall for insurance companies and take away from severely injured parties who need compensation the most. Ironically, Gingrey himself sought punitive damages for injuries that he suffered in a car crash back in 2004.
With preventable medical errors killing almost 100,000 Americans a year, the health industry needs more pressure- not more excuses- to take responsibility for the consequences of their negligent behavior. Medical malpractice attorneys at Pintas & Mullins law firm will continue to strongly advocate on behalf of injured medical malpractice victims in Illinois and across the country to ensure that they maintain the rights they are entitled to.