With so much attention focused on reforming the healthcare industry, many points and facets are coming into the spotlight. Some have pointed out that health care costs are higher in the U.S. than in other countries for the same procedure (but often leaving out pertainent facts, including government sponsorship of those facilities, etc.) Everyone agrees that the costs are out of control, though. Some look to the private sector for solutions, while others think that if health insurance were mandatory and everyone pitched in, costs could be brought down. Each idea has pros and cons. The one area which seems to be getting nearly no attention, though is the Ambulance Chasers.
If you’re ever stuck at home watching television on a weekday afternoon, you’ll find yourself bombarded by TV ads from attorneys (often actually a lawsuit machine that attorney owns,) who actively encourage people to sue. They put on quit a bit of polish to it, promising to fight for you, to get you the money you “deserve,” etc. They seduce people into hiring them on — for a hefty percentage of the sum they procure on your behalf. These parasitic attorneys usually get a full 1/3 of the money that the alleged victim “deserved,” and have no qualms about taking all of that, and sometimes even deduct other costs from the settlement or award money to boot!
The fact that they can afford television advertising and bombardment should be a sure sign that there’s something suspicious afoot. Who pays for those commercials? We all do. Who pays for that attorney’s staff? We do. Who pays for the monies these people supposedly “deserve”? You got it; we all do.
There should be an ethical consideration in persuading people to file cases — especially people who are sitting at home during normal work hours. These attorneys have a battery of doctors in their pocket, fellow Ambulance Chasers who will diagnose just about anything the attorney tells them to. Whether it’s an ambulance, a drug manufacturer, or a doctor’s office that they’re chasing, the result is the same. They prey upon people’s poverty and greed, and we all pay the price.
Medical professionals want the best for their patients, and generally do their best to ensure the patient’s safety. It’s both ethical medicine, and in their own best interest to do so. When someone is legitimately injured, the doctor himself often instructs his Malpractice carrier to pay a reasonable claim.
When a class action suit is filed, by the time the dust settles, the people in that suit generally get very little, if anything. The attorney’s fees eat up a huge amount, and they’re paid off the top. The injured parties split what’s left between however many people claim injury. In other words, while these Ambulance Chasers may promise to get someone the money they “deserve,” the only one they’re helping is themselves…and we all pay the price.
That price isn’t just in the settlement or award either. It’s also found in hefty measure in the steps physicians and medical facilities must take to protect themselves from claims. We pay for those costs as well.
It is up to us — all of us — to say no, to stop lining the pockets of these unethical attorneys. We’re all better served by communication and successful negotiation/arbitration with the patient when there’s a legitimate case of malpractice, and by refusing to pay bogus claims filed by Ambulance Chasers. Perhaps when there isn’t any money in it anymore, they’ll find other ways of making a living, and a huge part of the cost of healthcare will be eliminated. Ambulance Chasers drive up the costs of healthcare for everyone.