Letters to the Editor
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
‘A Malpractice Commission’
An editorial the other day completely misses the point. To blame the victims of medical errors or their attorneys for the cost of malpractice insurance is absurd [Editorial, “A Malpractice Commission,”August21,2007].
Consumer attorneys who represent the thousands of victims of medical negligence every year are committed to seeking compensation and justice for the injuries their clients have suffered
To state that these victims’ attorneys’ “financial interest is in more medical errors … ” is as ridiculous as saying that hospitals would be more profitable if they increased the numbers of patients with cancer, AIDS, or diabetes.
A strong and robust Civil Justice System, which promotes accountability and responsibility over negligence and finger-pointing, benefits all of us.
The fact is that the only means of effectively reducing medical malpractice premiums is a crackdown on the 7% of doctors responsible for two-thirds of all payouts, combined with reasonable patient safety initiatives.
JEFF KOREK
President
New York State Trial Lawyers Association
New York, N.Y.
‘Untouchable, Expanding’
I do hope we will see the New York Sun writing in support of its columnist Mark Steyn who rather gleefully asks by implication: Is there a sanctuary for American citizens here in New York City [Oped, “Untouchable, Expanding,” August 20, 2007]?
Thanks to Mayors Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani, and Bloomberg public officials are not allowed to ask the legal status of anyone applying for free medical care, free education between pre-kindergarten and university, free housing, and who knows what else.
So the question really is:Do American citizens have any rights beyond paying for the above and voting for the dismal possibilities that these four mayors represent?
THOMAS McGONIGLE
New York, N.Y.
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