I am always amazed by the medical-industrial complex’s repeated allegations that too many frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits are filed which causes every American to pay more for medical care. First, medical malpractice lawsuits are very expensive for the patient…costing $20,000 to $50,000 to prosecute. Second, theses case take 2 years or more to conclude. Third, most jurors give the doctor or hospital the benefit of the doubt when it comes time to decide the case.
While reading the online version of the Virginia Pilot newspaper today, I saw another example of the absence of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits. The federal government has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a medical malpractice case filed by the family of a woman who died at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center after a routine surgery to remove an infected boil. That is right…the patient was being treated for an infected boil on her leg….and ended up losing her life. The woman, age 43, was survived by her husband, and adult son, and four foster sons.
Incredibly, the federal government admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement.
My Take: The allegation that there are too many frivolous lawsuits filed against health care providers is a bunch of baloney!