Political Quotes

“Why do we need medical malpractice reform? It is simple. Medical malpractice awards are out of control. Medical malpractice awards are draining millions of dollars from health care and putting it into courtrooms and trial lawyers. They are contributing significantly to the staggering increase in health care costs. They are forcing doctors to practice defensive medicine to protect themselves against, very often, meritless claims, and these awards are forcing some doctors to leave their specialties altogether. My State of Pennsylvania has been particularly hard hit by what is now a legal system run amok. We rank second in the Nation in medical malpractice judgments. We suffer through jury verdicts that are amongst the highest, twice the level of California, which has this kind of medical malpractice reform. As a result, doctors in my State often pay premiums that are twice the level of California, often over $100,000 a year just for insurance; good doctors who have never harmed a soul, who have never been negligent. Mr. Chairman, this is long overdue.”