Healthcare Under Attack

Personal injury lawyers’ attacks on our health care system have serious negative consequences on the quality and affordability of the care we receive.  It has contributed to a shortage of certain specialty doctors—especially in obstetricians and general surgeons—in many areas of the country and helped spur a rise in health care costs that jeopardizes access to life-saving care and innovations, even for the middle class.  Though personal injury lawyers would lead you to believe that their lawsuits against health care providers, hospitals and health care companies are in the best interest of the consumer because they target “bad actors,” the truth of the matter is that, for them, it’s about their pursuit of personal wealth.  In the wake of this greed, the rest of the country is left with the consequences:

Doctors are afraid to practice medicine.

  • Almost 60 percent of OBGYNs had made changes to their practice because of the cost of insurance. (Overview of the 2009 ACOG Survey on Professional Liability, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2009)

Health care costs rise as litigation costs are passed on to patients.

  • Although over 60% of liability claims are dropped, they still cost an average of $22,000. (The Case for Medical Liability Reform, American Medical Association, 2008)

Access to health care is limited.

  • Since the tort reform legislation in Texas, the opportunity for 2,052,000 more patient visits exists every year than would been availble without reform (Texas Media Association, 2011)

Medical innovation is threatened and patient health is jeopardized.

  • “Legal reforms in Texas brought in 1,500 new doctors,” according to the Montgomery Advertiser. (“Alabama Voices: New lawsuit rules,” Montgomery Advertiser, July 1, 2011)
  • After lawsuit reform in Mississippi, “medical malpractice rates were 60% less than the exorbitant rates of 2004.” (“Balance, predictability recurring themes of hearing,” Tennessee Center for Policy Research, March 24, 2011)

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fast facts

The National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine givs our nation's medical liability environment a grade of C-. (The Medical Liability Reform Briefing Book, Health Coalition on Liability and Access, May 2011)
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tv

Sick of Lawsuits' new television commercial, "Tango," highlights the partnership between some personal injury lawyers and so-called expert witnesses hired to manufacture junk science to prop up junk lawsuits.

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