October 2009 Archives

"Finally, the bills make no attempt to address the matter of greedy lawyers forcing doctors to practice expensive 'defensive medicine' for fear of being sued to kingdom come."

Editorial, "American Health Care: What a Waste; Barack Obama's Reforms Should Avoid Squandering a Rare Opportunity, But Probably Won't," in The Economist

"... this bill continues to have a provision that benefits trial lawyers rather than consumers. I remain comfortable sending this bill back for a second time without my signature because of the strong consumer protections ... successfully implemented over the past two years."

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his veto message of Assembly Bill 2, which would have undercut a plan to protect consumers from unfair health coverage cancellations and driven more cases into the courts

"A finding like this from the independent, expert, and credible Congressional Budget Office ought to end once and for all the bogus personal injury lawyer attacks against well-crafted laws establishing certainty and limits in medical liability. These laws can make it possible to direct huge amounts of money into taking care of people's health instead of feeding court battles and trial lawyer bank accounts."

John H. Sullivan, president of the Civil Justice Association of California, commenting on a report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office finding that up to $54 billion could be saved in the next decade by imposing new limits on medical malpractice lawsuits

"Fear of making a 'mistake,' despite our assurances and confidence in the doctors, caused hesitation, and lower dosing of Gleevec at one stage. I asked a physician, 'What is everyone afraid of?' His response was: 'Lawyers.'"

Roger McCaffrey, a book publisher in Naples, Florida, writing in The Wall Street Journal about the experimental drug, Gleevec, which the author's young son took to battle chronic myeloid leukemia