Will Michigan Citizens Lose Their Right To Bring Malpractice Cases Against Hospitals and Providers?

Posted: Jul 17, 2012 at 4:55 PM [Jul 17, 2012]

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Will Michigan Citizens Lose Their Right To Bring Malpractice Cases Against Hospitals and Providers?

    Since the 1990's, Michigan is the only state that effectively bars citizens from bringing lawsuits against drug companies, even when drugs are proven to be dangerous and defective.  This has caused the State of Michigan and it’s citizens to lose millions of dollars in compensation for wrongful death and injuries. 

    Now, the Michigan legislature is considering a package of bills (SB 1110, SB 1115, SB 1116, SB 1117 and SB 1118; and HB 5669, HB 5670, HB 5671, and HB 5672) which will effectively bar any citizen from bringing a medical malpractice case against Michigan hospitals, health care corporations, physicians groups and all health care providers.  The legislature is even coming back in the middle of the summer on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, to hold special hearings on these bills. 
   
    This effort to take away the 7th amendment right to seek justice is despite the following facts:

•    Patient safety depends on holding every hospital and provider accountable for their actions.  Do we really want to go to a hospital where there is no responsibility for negligent or careless medical care?

•    Since the 1993 Tort Reform Legislation, the number of medical malpractice cases in Michigan is down 80% and the amounts paid to claimants has dramatically decreased, most recently down 60%.

•    Michigan is one of the two or three toughest states in the entire country for a patient to bring a medical malpractice case in.  Doctors are not fleeing Michigan because of medical malpractice suits.  Michigan is the best place to be.

•    Without medical malpractice cases, the state will lose funding as current liens collectable from malpractice cases under state Medicaid will not be available, and the state will have to assume costs for those victims of negligence needing care.

    For additional information, please contact B. Elliot Grysen, M.D., J.D., at (877) 247-9736.  Dr. Grysen has evaluated over 30,000 medical malpractice cases in all 50 states over the past 30 years and will be available all day on July 18  for phone or Skype interviews.