The Medical Malpractice Myth
 
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From Publishers Weekly In January 2005, President Bush declared the medical malpractice liability system "out of control." The president's speech was merely an echo of what doctors and politicians (mostly Republicans) have been saying for years--that medical malpractice premiums are skyrocketing due to an explosion in malpractice litigation. Along comes Baker, director of the Insurance Law Center at the University of Connecticut School of Law, to puncture "the medical malpractice myth" with a talent for reasoned argument and incisiveness. He counters that the real problem is "too much medical malpractice, not too much litigation," and that the cost of malpractice is lost lives and the "pain and suffering of tens of thousands of people every year"--most of whom do not sue. Baker argues that the rise in medical premiums has more to do with economic cycles and the competitive nature of the insurance industry than runaway juries. Finally, Baker offers an alternative in the form of evidence-based medical liability reform that seeks to decrease the incidence of malpractice and also protect doctors from rising premium costs. Having worked with insurance companies, law firms and doctors, Baker brings experience and perspective to his book, which is sure to be important and controversial in future debates. (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review Senator Richard J. Durbin : "Finally someone has demonstrated how complex this challenge really is. Narrow, facile answers won't solve the problem."--Senator Richard J. Durbin, Assistant Democratic Leader, United States Senate Neil Vidmar : "An outstanding accomplishment-accurate, reader-friendly, and highly relevant to the current debate about tort reform. Tom Baker has done a marvelous job confronting existing medical malpractice myths, and, though his proposal for medical liability reform will no doubt meet resistance on a number of fronts, it will certainly provoke discussion."--Neil Vidmar, Russell M. Robinson II Professor of Law, Duke Law School, and author of Medical Malpractice and the American Jury Michael McCann : "The Medical Malpractice Myth is a terrific book that succeeds fully in realizing its basic goals of offering an accessible debunking of the medical malpractice myth, redefining the key problems at stake related to medical malpractice, and pointing the way toward more effective and politically appealing reform policies that address the `real' issues. Tom Baker's work has a far better chance for generating a wide readership and public influence than any other book on the topic."--Michael McCann, Gordon Hirabayashi Professor for the Advancement of Citizenship, University of Washington, and coauthor of Distorting the Law

Submitted On:

09 Sep 2007

File Author:

Baker, Tom

File Size:

10.69 MB