His lawsuits against physicians spark ire among many doctors supporting liability reform, but his record doesn't daunt physicians backing the Kerry ti
By Joel B. Finkelstein, AMNews staff. Aug. 2, 2004.
Washington -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's choice of Sen. John Edwards (D, N.C.) as his running mate has generated a commotion in the physician community. The reason: Edwards' reputation as a trial lawyer is built largely on medical malpractice lawsuits.
The reaction has ranged from aghast to unfazed and everything in between.
"Doctors are going to panic when they think about a trial lawyer who has sued a doctor and won being near the White House," said Kerry supporter Julie Graves Moy, MD, a family physician in Austin, Texas.
One doctor reader wrote AMNews, "It is hard for me to imagine someone who could turn back the clock and oppose [doctors'] fight for tort reform more than John Edwards."
It is not surprising that many physicians are wary about Edwards, who has a history of successfully trying more than 60 medical malpractice cases, winning in excess of $1 million in more than half of those.
While the American Medical Association does not take a position on elections, the organization has marked liability reform as a top legislative priority.
The AMA believes that liability reform, including a cap on noneconomic damages, "will provide patients with greater access to care by stabilizing skyrocketing medical liability insurance premiums," according to a statement. But physicians should actively support the candidate of their choice, the statement continues.
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