The Real Reason for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

With all the recent talk about healthcare reform there have been more than a few references to tort reform and along with it, implications that people who sue for medical malpractice are greedy and just looking for a windfall.  The truth of the matter is legitimate cases of medical negligence often leave their victims with permanent injuries and a lifetime of suffering.  No monetary award can fix that.

There are reasons why the law allows people to sue doctors and medical facilities when they are harmed because of negligence.  Part of it is to punish the guilty parties and hopefully ensure that what happened to their victim doesn’t happen to someone else.  But the main reason medical malpractice victims sue is not to “get rich quick”.  It’s to receive enough compensation to be able to sustain their lives.

Think about a case in which a child suffers a birth injury which renders him brain damaged.  Or a patient who undergoes a surgery and ends up paralyzed because the surgeon made an error.  Or the woman who suffers a hospital infection which causes her to have to have her legs amputated in order to save her life.  The aftermath of these types of situations often involve hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses, not to mention loss of income, and the pain and suffering that go along with having suffered such an injury.

It’s important that we not lose sight of the real reason victims of medical malpractice sue: their right to be compensated for someone else’s error, which they must deal with for the rest of their lives.  Should the young mother of two who is now confined to a wheelchair because of a doctor’s mistake have to pay for her own lifelong medical expenses?  Likewise, who should be responsible to pay for the physical therapy and medical treatments of the baby who has cerebral palsy due to a birth injury?  Her parents?  Or the doctor who was responsible?

Next time you read an editorial piece implying that medical malpractice lawsuits are “frivolous”, remember that those who sue for medical errors are victims, and that it could happen to any one of us.  And, of course, if you happen to a victim yourself, exercise your legal rights and contact a medical lawyer today.