Charles Norwood: “Mr. Speaker, unlimited liability is an unacceptable drain on our health care system today. It is about access to care.…”

“Mr. Speaker, unlimited liability is an unacceptable drain on our health care system today. It is about access to care. It is about unruly costs from defensive medicine. We have got to make a change before it begins to truly affect our patients any more than it already has. Now, I understand that people who have been injured by medical malpractice deserve redress. I also know people on the other side of the issue believe you can never match a value to a human life. But when is it enough? Is it enough when a sick patient cannot find a doctor because too many doctors have closed down their practices over rising malpractice premiums? Is it enough when an emergency trauma center closes its doors? Is it enough when nurses and support personnel in that trauma center are put out of work, Mr. Speaker? There has got to be a figure out there somewhere that is enough. Saying that no figure is enough and that we can never place a limit, some reasonable limits on noneconomic awards, is to condemn the American patients to lesser care as this reckless liability system takes its toll on our health care system today.”