Dick Durbin: “let me say at the outset, we have talked a lot about the Patients First Act that is before us, S. 11. As far as I can…”

“let me say at the outset, we have talked a lot about the Patients First Act that is before us, S. 11. As far as I can tell, this is ``patients last.'' It says, regardless of the injury you sustained because of medical errors, medical negligence, medical malpractice, we are going to limit you to $250,000 that you can recover for your pain and suffering no matter how many years you have to endure. This is a photograph of Sharon Keller whom I met yesterday, a proud registered Republican, as she announced in our press conference. After a hysterectomy, she went into the doctor's office for an exam. Unfortunately, the surgeon, as she examined her, made a move and removed a suture and bleeding started. When the bleeding became excessive, the doctor left the room and left Sherry on the examining table as she went out to find someone who could respond to the need and, at the same time, went to see some other patients while Sherry was bleeding on the examining table. Unfortunately, after a period of time, she went into shock and fell off the examining table, as she was left unattended in the examining room. When she fell off the table, she hit the counter as she fell and damaged her spinal cord, rendering her an incomplete quadriplegic. In this state of bleeding and virtually paralyzed, she dragged herself out into the hallway to beg for help.”