No, medical negligence victims should not have to settle for an apology. Unbelievably, this idea was recently floated around, and we are speechless that such a notion has been suggested.
With many medical negligence victims having to endure tough legal battles for justice, all the while suffering with injuries and complications that have been caused by medical negligence itself, the idea that they should settle for an apology is nonsense.
Medical negligence victims must never lose their right to justice.
Here’s just a small list of things a medical negligence victim may have to endure:
- Suffering that was entirely preventable;
- Complications that can lead to prolonged suffering and more time in hospital, and needing more treatment;
- Lost earnings, leading to struggles paying the mortgage, bills and feeding a family;
- Permanent complications and suffering caused by medical negligence, perhaps permanently impacting their ability to work and live a normal life;
- The need for care – whether short-term, or long-term – as a result of a medical negligence.
We could go on.
So, why should victims of medical negligence face losing their houses, and why should their quality of life suffer because of a preventable mistake? Why should a victim of medical negligence suffer in silence without any form of justice at all?
And how can we better our healthcare system when there is no culpability? If mistakes are not punishable, how can we stop them from happening again?
It’s a nice idea that we could someday have a perfect healthcare system and stamp out medical negligence altogether. This would be fantastic – no person ever having to suffer as a result of medical negligence ever again. But, we do not live in this world. Until we do, the victims of medical negligence must never be shut out from justice, and they must never be silenced and brushed aside without any entitlement to justice whatsoever.
Medical negligence cases are often complicated. That’s why they need the help of lawyers, and we are to help victims. The idea that victims of negligence should settle for an apology and suffer without justice is complete nonsense.
