Physicians are held to an unattainable standard. I concede that there are physicians who are reckless and misinformed and this can result in damage that should be compensated. However, the majority of physicians are caring people who have sacrificed a great deal to be able to provide care for patients. It is an honor for someone to trust us with their well being (or in my case the well being of their child). But, we are human and all make occasional mistakes. Having said that, most patients would have been worse off without the efforts of their physician. Even some of those who are now suing their physician owe their lives to their physician.

Now, before you claim this is ludicrous, let me give you a personal example. And I will admit this is very likely not representative of the process as a whole, but it is my experience.

At the children's hospital where I now work, a world renowned cardiac surgeon was fired very unceremoniosly and for what to many of us were petty causes. When word of this got out, a lawyer took it on herself to contact every patient he had cared for and convinced many of them to file suit against him for any perceived unacceptable outcome. There have now been dozens of suits brought against the physician and my hospital. Not a single one was decided for the plaintiff, but his career is over (if it was not already so) and the hospital has lost millions in legal fees. The irony is that this physician developed/invented and performed the very surgery that saved every one of these children's lives. Without him they would all be dead. These surgeries are very high risk, but the mortality without the surgery is 100% without transplant, but only 10-15% with surgery.

As I stated, I realize this is probably not representative, but it is my (only) experience with the medical malpractice process and it is ugly and self serving. And probably worse of all is that the parents who should be marveling that their child born with a uniformly fatal disease is now alive, instead of thinking a doctor did something wrong.

I admit that there is a role in policing doctors who are negligent (since we don't seem to be able to do this ourselves), but in the process, often initiated by overzealous lawyers, many careers have been ruined. I don't testify in malpractice lawsuits, though maybe I should, because I know that "There but by the grace of God, go I".