Obviously, if the doctors were following established medical procedures and the patient died, such an award seems ridiculous. However, if the doctors lied about the treatment being received or refused to treat a patient because of a personal characteristic, such as race or religion, then such a huge award would send a message to other doctors not to engage in such behavior. While capping award amounts in medical malpractice suits seems tempting, the fact is that some acts of malpractice result in the need for expensive lifelong treatment for the victim, which may not be covered under those caps. Therefore, medical malpractice lawsuits should not be burdened by recovery caps.

4. The three adults I spoke with all believed that medical malpractice lawsuits should be capped. They cited malpractice suits as one of the major reasons for today's exorbitant health insurance rates, and suggested that if comprehensive health care were...
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