Potential Devastating Effects of Tort Reform

I am a senior healthcare analyst working on a number of Federal contracts to implement ARRA health legislation. I am a lone Republican amidst a sea of Democrats. I am so fed up with Democrats and Republicans alike in the US. When will they start representing the people versus corporations?

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I would like to say, I am strongly opposed to tort reform. I feel like a lone voice. I do agree with curbing the abuses of lawyers but I do not want to see what is happening in the auto industry happen in healthcare. There is no way that patients should suffer the consequences of bad medicine. I have personally seen too many patients injured by the healthcare system who could not sue though they suffered significant losses -- even under this litigation-happy culture --because their case was not 'big' enough for a lawyer. If you only allow patients to sue for lost wages and expenses--they will be 'screwed' even more than they are now. It is not the patients who are making out on these lawsuits--it is the lawyers. Consumers are already getting hammered because of tort reform in the auto industry. My nephew was involved in an accident with a State of PA utility truck this summer. The State was at fault but my nephew still could not find any lawyer to help him at all because under tort reform he could only sue for lost wages and expenses. He was out of work for three months. Yet by the time he would have paid legal fees (since the awards are so low) to a lawyer -- there would be nothing left for him. This same thing will happen to patients and it is not right. I am a healthcare administrator and our health system is fraught with errors--it is not right to limit damages to patients. It is right to start going after lawyers for frivolous law suits. Just ask John Edwards where he made his money! Will you consider researching the repercussions/abuses of tort reform in the auto insurance industry and the potential devastating effects in healthcare? Thanks. Terri Endicott