Sep 30 2008
lawsuits and healthcare
If there was universal healthcare, would lawsuits concerning personal injury decline or disappear? At least from a compensation standpoint, if the government took care of your injuries, why would you need to sue someone/a corporation (I know they’re one and the same in legal-land) for medical care?
Wonder what the world would be like with less fear of personal injury lawsuits…perhaps our kids could play on those merry-go-rounds and tire swings again.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:33 am
I’d like to agree with what you said about the gov’t taking care of injuries so personal injury lawsuits could/should decline. But from the perspective of a parent with a child who has a life-long disability which could have been prevented, the enduring costs of life-long care and assistance (especially after one’s parents/primary care providers are gone) might only be sustained through pursuing legal avenues. Just a thought….
October 8th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Hey Sharlene! Hmm…malpractice is a different shade from personal injury, I think? You could argue that universal care in that respect would also hopefully extend to lifelong care/assistance. I definitely think that everything should be done to prevent life-long disability – but compared to a kid falling off a slide…I’m not sure. A lot of lawsuits in the US seem spurious (like, yes, of course your coffee will be very hot. Don’t spill.) Obvious injurious stuff shouldn’t be allowed – then again, what’s obvious?
I think it’s also because here in Mongolia there are just so many things you can get hurt with – a hot ger stove in the middle of your house being number one. Kids learn from a very early age to not touch it…I need to think more about this topic I think.