On the recordMarch 13, 2003
In Chicago, an electrocardiogram is misread and the patient dies of a heart attack. A rare heart disorder is mistaken for a back strain and kidney stone. The patient dies. Both of these cases are about real people and real pain. In both cases, the families were awarded decent sums of money by juries, but I can tell my colleagues, no sum of money will ever replace the loss and suffering of people's lives. Yes, there is a crisis in health care, but this one-size-fits-all $250,000 cap on medical malpractice payoffs will not solve the problem. I have a profound respect for doctors, nurses, hospitals and other health care professionals who provide services, some 25 of them in my Congressional district, five medical schools, but I am not prepared to leave to chance a $250,000 cap on consumers.
Source
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