Look at Insurance Industry
Chicago Sun-Times, 04/23/2004By Robert A. Clifford
The problem of caps on damages and drastic reform of the civil justice system lies in the misinformation being circulated. The letter "Lawyers are the problem" [April 14] is a case in point.
Hank R. Schwab goes on to attack a 33 percent contingency fee. Years ago, the Legislature reformed the system by strictly controlling legal fees in medical malpractice cases. It should also be pointed out that attorneys working on a contingency fee is not a conflict of interest – it is an attorney zealously working for his client. It allows the courthouse doors to be open to those who cannot afford attorneys who work on an hourly feel.
Certainly, something should be done about skyrocketing insurance costs. But let’s start by examining the insurance industry. In the last three decades, the Illinois Department of Insurance has not once rejected a rate increase by the state’s largest insurer of doctors, ISMIE. And why should good doctors be paying the same as physicians who are sued over and over again for negligence?
We must work together to find more creative workable ideas that will result in just and fair treatment of those injured as well as maintained accountability through a respect for the jury system.
