Fear of malpractice lawsuits influences physicians to avoid high-risk specialties like obstetrics, and increasingly injecting Botox for wrinkles. If we really want to reform the health care system, it can’t be done by simply increase money damages. President Obama has identified all the problems with the health care system, and one reason health care is so expensive is because of malpractice litigation.

And finally, there’s jury system. It was a long time ago in medieval England, the jury system was created with the goal of finding twelve peers so unbiased of the trial they were judging. The problem is we’re still trying to find those people today. Currently, there are a few of our peers out there thinking a Caesarian section is some neighborhood in Rome, a terminal illness is getting sick at the airport, and all physicians are rich, overpaid, over-educated jerks! By sticking to this anachronistic system, aren’t we always ensuring a “fair” trial by twelve of our “unbiased” peers? Did you know, for example, that O.J. was not guilty?
Is there any of the jurors at this Dr. Pham trial has been a healthcare professional?
As the old folk wisdom goes, do you really believe in the wisdom of twelve people who couldn’t get out of the jury duty?