The Michigan state senate is currently considering a bill that would have grave consequences for medical malpractice law. The bill would absolve doctors of any liability if they make a mistake that leads to further harm if the doctors did "what they thought was best." This law effectively gives doctors a disprovable defense in any Michigan medical malpractice lawsuits and ultimately damages patients' rights to compensation.

Why malpractice lawsuits matter

On a small scale, malpractice lawsuits are the only way that people can avoid being buried by medical debt if a doctor's mistake caused the need for additional treatment. We fight to get patients the compensation they deserve. However, lawsuits are important on a wider scale as well. They help to support patients' rights to quality medical care.

If a doctor isn't trustworthy and causes more mistakes than he solves, he shouldn't be allowed to practice. The system of malpractice litigation helps to keep error-prone doctors out of hospitals.

How the bill harms patients

Michigan Senate Bill 1116, or the Patients' First Reform Package, is of concern to legal professionals across the state. It enables a doctor's testimony that his life-altering mistakes were "what he thought was best" to serve as sufficient defense against a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. The point of medical care isn't to receive the treatment that a doctor "thinks is best" — it is to receive treatment that is proven to work.

If a beloved family member dies because of a doctor's professional negligence, assurance that the doctor was doing "what he thought was best" is not going to be a satisfactory answer. Nor do we believe it should be an admissible defense in a court of law.

Contact the law firm of Rubino, Ruman, Crosmer & Polen today for assistance filing medical malpractice claims. We offer the services of knowledgeable, compassionate attorneys to help you with forms, litigation, settlement, and advocacy, so you can get what you deserve.