Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are proposing new legislation that would allow doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to take a less defensive approach to accusations of medical malpractice by allowing them to apologize to their victims rather than just denying wrongdoing.
Although the new bill would not interfere with any potential legal action the patient may choose to pursue, the theory behind it is that the amount of damages sought in medical malpractices lawsuits will likely be reduced.
The lawmakers behind the proposition claim that it is anger over the incident and subsequent denial that drives most victims to file lawsuits, rather than greed. Therefore, they are suggesting that if the guilty party admits the wrongdoing, and apologizes, the patient is less likely to sue.
Surprisingly, this is not a new idea. In fact, thirty five other states have already passed similar legislation, and claim that they have seen a significant reduction in medical malpractice claims because of it.
It is an interesting insight of the way patients feel when they become victims of negligence. Turns out in many cases a sincere “I’m sorry” really does go a long way.
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