I's so fvsking glad I'm leaving PA, maybe they'll learn when there's no doctors left.

[The Sauce]

Just heard from a colleage about a recent settlement for $20mil in Philadelphia. 8 month pregnant woman driver in a car accident transported to the hospital in critical condition. They managed to save her life and her unborn baby's life. Her gratitude, she sues the hospital and an orthopedic surgeon for ANKLE PAIN because her ankle had to be operated on and didn't heal right. Jury awards something like $15-20 mil.

I don't know why I became a doctor. This is what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life. Granted PA is worse than most states. Soon there wont be any specialists in PA or WV and people will have to travel 2 states to get care. Takes them 6 months to get an appointment with a obstetrician as it is since 2/3 have already left the state. Good. Serves them right. I'm leaving at the end of this year too for a state with some sanity to its tort system and some concept of personal and societal responsibility.

If you get hurt in an accident in a year or two in PA, the only person left to exact your financial vengence upon will be a medic and a nurse practitioner. Good luck. The last buffalo hunt is officially over for me. I'm moving on to greener pastures.

Edit: $15 mil - updated with link.

 

[prvteye2003]

how close to death was she that they managed to save her life?

 

[The Sauce]

Those details are not available. I was not, obviously, involved in the case. But there are numerous cases along those same lines...too many to count.

 

[Monel Funkawitz]

You act like this doesn't happen anywhere else.

 

[FoBoT]

you are doing the right thing

the only way it will get fixed is if the people getting screwed stop putting up with it

 

[geno]

Man, that's obnoxious :disgust:


edit, the story, that is

 

[LostHiWay]

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Just heard from a colleage about a recent settlement for $20mil in Philadelphia. 8 month pregnant woman driver in a car accident transported to the hospital in critical condition. They managed to save her life and her unborn baby's life. Her gratitude, she sues the hospital and an orthopedic surgeon for ANKLE PAIN because her ankle had to be operated on and didn't heal right. Jury awards something like $15-20 mil.

I don't know why I became a doctor. This is what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life. Granted PA is worse than most states. Soon there wont be any specialists in PA or WV and people will have to travel 2 states to get care. Takes them 6 months to get an appointment with a obstetrician as it is since 2/3 have already left the state. Good. Serves them right. I'm leaving at the end of this year too for a state with some sanity to its tort system and some concept of personal and societal responsibility.

If you get hurt in an accident in a year or two in PA, the only person left to exact your financial vengence upon will be a medic and a nurse practitioner. Good luck. The last buffalo hunt is officially over for me. I'm moving on to greener pastures.

I feel for doctors..I know they get a bad rap sometimes. People think they charge to much but they really don't. A family member of mine is a doctor that has his own practice. You'd think he'd be swimming in money but he's not. He's hardly getting by. Malpractice insurance is just insane. Oh, and don't get me started about those insurance companies run by Nazis.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Monel Funkawitz
You act like this doesn't happen anywhere else.

Same thing happening in Georgia.

The Medical Association is running Ads now asking everyone to call their Representatives before your Doctor leaves.

Like Politicians listen

Only after the Politicians Doctors leave would they wake up.

 

[The Sauce]

No, it's happening in other places. Some worse than others. Doctors know where it is bad and where it isn't. There is no way in hell I am staying in, or moving to any place where I'm going to have to worry about losing everything I've spent the last 13 years working for - every single day with every patient I see.

Other states have much better laws to prevent frivilous lawsuits such as this one, and exorbitant awards such as this one.

 

[FoBoT]

a friend of mine is finishing residency in may, he is joining a pediatric practice in Idaho

i don't know how much malpractice played into his decision, i'll have to ask him

 

[The Sauce]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Monel Funkawitz
You act like this doesn't happen anywhere else.

Same thing happening in Georgia.

The Medical Association is running Ads now asking everyone to call their Representatives before your Doctor leaves.

Like Politicians listen

Only after the Politicians Doctors leave would they wake up.

Maybe...the reaction of politicians on the issue is represented by that of the governor of WV who was "disappointed at the irresponsibility of doctors" who were forced to abandon their practices, move their families and leave the state. Wat a jackass.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

$15-$20 mil for ankle pain? WTH!?

stupid jury

 

[Hubris]

Yeah, it's damned retarded the way doctors have to live in fear. My sister, who's a nurse, was telling me that for a pediatrcian, if you deliver a child, ANYTHING that goes wrong with it in like the first five years could be blamed on you and you could get screwed. I wish people would realize that doctors aren't omniscient and all-powerful. Sometimes things are going to happen, and while I feel for your pain, that doesn't mean you get to sue because of it. If it's GROSS negligence, then fine, go for it, but if it's not, then I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to suck it up.

 

[The Sauce]

Our medico-legal syatem thrives off of frivolous lawsuits because hospitals usually settle...not having the time to spend with a lengthy suit. People like Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards have made tens-of-millions this way - coaxing people to hunt doctors for big payoffs and fostering the belief that if you were hurt, someone is to blame...always. Link.
So some leech with 3 years training goes out and hunts down doctors (who train for a minimum of 7-13 years), makes millions driving them out of practice, and make it sound like they are doing society a great service...just sickening.

PS - In case you weren't aware the average surgeon finishing residency makes $80K now (after malpractice coverage) and has >$250K in debt from education. That's after 9 years of training and making no income.

 

[Spencer278]

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Our medico-legal syatem thrives off of frivolous lawsuits because hospitals usually settle...not having the time to spend with a lengthy suit. People like Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards have made tens-of-millions this way - coaxing people to hunt doctors for big payoffs and fostering the belief that if you were hurt, someone is to blame...always. Link.
So some leech with 3 years training goes out and hunts down doctors (who train for a minimum of 7-13 years), makes millions driving them out of practice, and make it sound like they are doing society a great service...just sickening.

PS - In case you weren't aware the average surgeon finishing residency makes $80K now (after malpractice coverage) and has >$250K in debt from education. That's after 9 years of training and making no income.

The hospitals are just as much at fault for always settling what did they think was going to happen if they gave money to anyone that came in with a laywer.

 

[StageLeft]

Agreed that something needs to be done about it. I am not sure I agree with a max-settlement like Bush proposed (?), because if you're a healthy 16 year old and through total and utter incomptence a doctor makes you paralyzed from the neck down, then the amount I remember reading proposed is not enough. But, the juries should have perhaps a guideline they have to follow, or something. I suppose a max settlement is better than what we have here. There are several areas where doctors are leaving because insurance costs are too high. It's the blame-somebody culture of the US as a whole. You see it in lots of things - the new ad-line for a popular drug is "It's not your fault you're overweight." Of course it is. People just want to blame somebody else.

PS - In case you weren't aware the average surgeon finishing residency makes $80K now (after malpractice coverage) and has >$250K in debt from education. That's after 9 years of training and making no income.

Medicine is definitely not a get-rich quick I've been making money well before most people are out of residency, and when you consider their loans it will take a long time before their networth is where somebody like mine could be, although I'll peak much lower than a doctor.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Our medico-legal syatem thrives off of frivolous lawsuits because hospitals usually settle...not having the time to spend with a lengthy suit. People like Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards have made tens-of-millions this way - coaxing people to hunt doctors for big payoffs and fostering the belief that if you were hurt, someone is to blame...always. Link.
So some leech with 3 years training goes out and hunts down doctors (who train for a minimum of 7-13 years), makes millions driving them out of practice, and make it sound like they are doing society a great service...just sickening.

PS - In case you weren't aware the average surgeon finishing residency makes $80K now (after malpractice coverage) and has >$250K in debt from education. That's after 9 years of training and making no income.

Funny you pick $250K as the number.

The Georgia Legislature is in session now and there is a Lobbyist Group trying to get a Law passed to Cap Frivulous Lawsuits to $250K.

The Politicians and Lawyers are of course fighting this because it would cut them off from the Millions and millions of free revenue stream from bleeding doctors and Insurance Companies.

The whole legal system has become a Snake eating it's own Tail. :|

 

[Spencer278]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Our medico-legal syatem thrives off of frivolous lawsuits because hospitals usually settle...not having the time to spend with a lengthy suit. People like Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards have made tens-of-millions this way - coaxing people to hunt doctors for big payoffs and fostering the belief that if you were hurt, someone is to blame...always. Link.
So some leech with 3 years training goes out and hunts down doctors (who train for a minimum of 7-13 years), makes millions driving them out of practice, and make it sound like they are doing society a great service...just sickening.

PS - In case you weren't aware the average surgeon finishing residency makes $80K now (after malpractice coverage) and has >$250K in debt from education. That's after 9 years of training and making no income.

Funny you pick $250K as the number.

The Georgia Legislature is in session now and there is a Lobbyist Group trying to get a Law passed to Cap Frivulous Lawsuits to $250K.

The Politicians and Lawyers are of course fighting this because it would cut them off from the Millions and millions of free revenue stream from bleeding doctors and Insurance Companies.

The whole legal system has become a Snake eating it's own Tail. :|

Of course the companys that are really making the money is the insurance companies. They make money off people going to the doctors and then the turn around and make more money off the doctors. I'm willing to bet insurance steals alot more of our health care dollar then lawyers.

 

[SubZeroX]

snatchface, which state will u move to? and which states are "better"? If you go to another state, don't u have to deal with license issues?

 

[BornStar]

Originally posted by: Spencer278
Of course the companys that are really making the money is the insurance companies. They make money off people going to the doctors and then the turn around and make more money off the doctors. I'm willing to bet insurance steals alot more of our health care dollar then lawyers.

Doctors get malpractice insurance from said insurance companies so when there's a huge lawsuit against them and they lose, the insurance companies get to pay for it. I'm pretty sure they aren't to pleased about that. It's just like getting in a car accident if it's your fault, you don't pay for the other driver.

 

[BornStar]

Originally posted by: SubZeroX
snatchface, which state will u move to? and which states are "better"? If you go to another state, don't u have to deal with license issues?

Yeah, I'm curious about this as well. My g/f wants to be an OB (specializing in high risk pregnancy) so she's just begging for lawsuits. It would be nice to keep those to a minimum.

 

[bleeb]

The doctors in PA need to up their standards in medical care. HOW the FSCK do you save a women and her unborn child but FSCK up an easy ankle surgery?? Everyone there must have gone to the Univ. of Bahamas or something because you guys suck at medical care! Also DON'T LEAVE, doctors leaving PA will give Doctors a bad name elsewhere.

 

[Ferocious]

But it's regular people usually that decide on awarding these huge amounts.

Perhaps the jurors know more about the cases than we do.


EDIT: But no doubt about it.....many of these insurance companies are making RECORD profits.

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: bleeb
The doctors in PA need to up their standards in medical care. HOW the FSCK do you save a women and her unborn child but FSCK up an easy ankle surgery?? Everyone there must have gone to the Univ. of Bahamas or something because you guys suck at medical care! Also DON'T LEAVE, doctors leaving PA will give Doctors a bad name elsewhere.

Well that's our ass-backwards statement of the day, unless there are any challengers.

 

[Spencer278]

Originally posted by: BornStar18

Originally posted by: Spencer278
Of course the companys that are really making the money is the insurance companies. They make money off people going to the doctors and then the turn around and make more money off the doctors. I'm willing to bet insurance steals alot more of our health care dollar then lawyers.

Doctors get malpractice insurance from said insurance companies so when there's a huge lawsuit against them and they lose, the insurance companies get to pay for it. I'm pretty sure they aren't to pleased about that. It's just like getting in a car accident if it's your fault, you don't pay for the other driver.

The higher the damage award the more the insurance companys get to charge for insurance which drives up the cost of medical care which then drives up the cost of health insurance. The insurance companies can't loose because they are required by law and if it looks like a doctor might be a risk they just drop there coverage.