Personal Injury Law

Don't Believe Lies on Illinois Medical Liability

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

Recently the president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association discussed some of the falsehoods about medical-liability insurance that have been spread throughout Illinois. One is that doctors are fleeing Illinois because of insurance cost. In fact, the American Medical Association states that the number of doctors in Illinois has been steadily increasing over the past decade. The insurance industry tried to convince the public that medical negligence victims are responsible for the increase in health care costs. However, Illinois? largest malpractice insurer reporting payouts have remained flat for the past 13 years. The last claim is that medical malpractice lawsuit reform would keep doctors from practicing ?defensive medicine.? The Congressional Budget Office and Government Accountability Office have cast doubts on the existence of ?defensive medicine.? It appears that doctors run more tests because it benefits their patients. The medical malpractice legislation in 2005 worked to reduce malpractice premiums. It also forced malpractice insurance companies to provide greater transparency on rate-setting and payouts. This motivated more companies to enter the marketplace and lower doctor?s premiums. Attacking the civil justice system will not provide the real reform needed for health care. The legal system has an important job of providing justice to those injured or killed by medical negligence. If there is such medical malpractice, a patient should not have to suffer the further indignity of a closed courtroom. To read more from the medical malpractice essay, please click the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on August 21, 2009 (boomark / email).