The Poor, in Fact, Are Less Likely to Sue Their Doctor

[DavidDvorkin]

Contrary to the common perception among physicians that poor people sue doctors more frequently, Ramon L. Jimenez from the Monterey Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Institute and his team demonstrate that socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, in fact, tend to sue physicians less often. Their work suggests that this myth may exist because of subconscious prejudices or stereotypes that affect thinking and decision making without doctors being aware of it -- a phenomenon known as unconscious bias.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120227111204.htm


This doesn't surprise me. I suspect that the poor are in general less likely to sue and more likely to quietly suffer the burdens and injustices imposed on them by the powerful and the rich.

[CAPHAVOC]

1. Nothing wrong with suing for compensatory damages.

[rfranklin]

3. Unless you are just looking for an easy payday...

as the rich are prone to do.

[Alcibiades]

2. Poor folks don't hire lawyers

Oftentimes they are unable to do so even if charged with a crime, so it makes sense that they wouldn't do it as often in this context. Going through the legal process takes resources that are less available to the poor. If you're worried about survival, and if the system is rigged against you anyway, why go through the hassle and expense?

[brewens]

5. Exactly. It's much more likely to be a middle or upper middleclass wanna be rich type.

The worst I know is right-wing gun nut type. He will threaten to sue over anything. He was tailgating a guy one time and worked the system when he rear-ended him. He went after the car dealer, ultimately the manufacturer. He claimed the anit-lock breaks didn't work and got a lawyer. Total bullshit. He's known to be an agressive driver and prone to road rage.

[Odin2005]

8. That is partly why poor areas are more violent.

Poor people rightly believe that the justice system is rigged against them and so take justice into their own hands, instead.

[cbayer]

4. As the article points out, they sue less often because they have less access to medical

malpractice lawyers and lack the money that those lawyers often demand to file the case.

What is unjust is that there are trial lawyers out there that are advertising on daytime television encouraging people to sue their physicians for frivolous reasons. I do not think that anyone with a truly legitimate malpractice claim is going to go unrepresented. If the case is valid, the attorney is much more likely to file it without up front fees.

Take a look at John Edwards history. The whole system is sick to it's core.

[KansDem]

6. Here's a list of the top reasons for medical malpractice

1. Defective products. Sometimes it is not the doctor, anesthesiologist, or hospital that is at fault for your medical injury or wrongful death case. Somewhat often, the medical products used during your stay at the hospital are responsible and the manufacturers of the product have been negligent. The device may not met safety standards in some cases, while in others, a doctor may not have warned you about the specific side effects of a prescribed drug.

2. Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose. Sometimes the very first step in fighting a condition, disease or illness is missed - your doctor misses your diagnosis and your disease takes its toll on your body, or, worse, your doctor gives you a wrong diagnosis and treats you for a disease you don't have while your other condition worsens.

3. Anesthesia errors. Anesthesiologists are trained to make sure your anesthesia is administered correctly and safely - and the failure to do so can results in brain damage or even death.

4. Surgical errors. Surgical errors may be the easiest to spot when it comes to medical malpractice. The surgery is done incorrectly, the doctor makes mistakes, or there are complications due to the doctor's negligent care. These errors can led to pain and suffering, long-term or permanent disability, and death.

http://www.hsinjurylaw.com/library/what-are-the-most-common-types-of-medical-malpractice.cfm

How many of these cases would affect the poor?

[Odin2005]

7. No shit, poor people are less likely to go on luxury cruises, too.

It's because we can't AFFORD it.