Joe Lieberman: “A study by the Committee for Contraceptive Development, jointly staffed and administered by the National Research…”

“A study by the Committee for Contraceptive Development, jointly staffed and administered by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, found that only one major U.S. pharmaceutical company still invests in contraceptive research. Why? The study blamed the legal climate, fear of lawsuits, for this situation. H.R. 956, this bill before us, would make these drugs and other medical devices more available. We have said over and over again, this bill protects the right of an injured plaintiff to get full recovery for damages, cost of medical care, loss of wages, any other provable item. It goes beyond, and says you can get recovery for noneconomic losses, intangibles like pain and suffering, from those who are responsible for the negligence. It simply puts a small limit on punitive damages. In doing so, yes, it helps some businesses expand, provide the miraculous products I have talked about, sell products for less; but it helps millions of other people. In a way, the beneficiaries of this legislation are not so visible. That is why I read from this testimony. But they, and millions and millions of others of them, are counting on us to pass this bill to bring balance and trust back to our legal system.”