In recent years we have heard certain lawmakers rail against evil trial lawyers and advocate for bans or strict caps on medical malpractice cases. Now, one of the leading lawmakers for “tort reform” has, so to speak, gotten a taste of his own medicine.
According to an article in the Jacksonville Times-Union:
It has been a staple of Stephen Wise’s political career. As a state representative and senator representing North Florida since 1998, he consistently has fought against trial lawyers and for medical malpractice reform. He repeatedly has voted for measures that make it tougher for people to take medical institutions to court – and to limit the amount of potential damages if they end up there.
In particular, he has focused on nursing homes
.
However, Katherine Wise, the Republican senator’s wife, has recently sued a nursing home for alleged abuse and neglect of her father while a resident at the facility. According to the suit, he entered the facility in good health but then died as a result of diarrhea, dehydration and negligence.
Hopefully other lawmakers will realize that sometimes honest good people are hurt by bad individuals and corporations that put profit over patients. Caps on medical malpractice cases only protect the bad apples. While no system is perfect, accountability for evil is the foundation of our judicial system. When artificial protections against accountability for bad conduct is legislated, we all suffer. As the Wise family has now seemingly learned with new nursing home special interest laws: be careful what you wish for.
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