Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Big Payoffs

I noticed this morning there was another stupendous payoff in a medical malpractice case. $24 million or so. Last week a jury awarded $54 million against a nursing home for the death of an elderly patient. You wonder if the defense counsel in the cases just go out and slash their wrists after something like this happens. You wonder if these awards will raise the cost of all nursing home and hospital fees so they can cover ever inflating insurance rates because of the enormity of the payouts.

A friend of Bobbi's said she disagreed with such payouts, but that if they were going to happen then a new system for distribution of the proceeds should be considered. Some fair amount should be given to the plantiffs and their attorneys, but a majority of these huge payouts should go into a special fund to help improve government oversight of the facilities and training and retaining of employees. Most of those employees are minimum wage folks who turnover at incredible rates.

Right, fat chance.

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