CJA Decries ‘Double Standard’ in Schiavo Case

KINGSTON – A Northeastern Pennsylvania group that advocates for the rights of injury victims today decried what it sees as a “double standard” in the case of Terri Schiavo, who is a victim of medical malpractice.

The Committee for Justice for All said the actions of President Bush and congressional leaders to save Schiavo’s life have been “absolutely shameful and hypocritical,” given their position on fair compensation for other malpractice victims.

“When there’s political gain and media exposure to be had, these guys will run over each other trying to protect the rights of a malpractice victim,” said CJA Executive Director Paul Lyon. “But if you’re one of the tens of thousands of other people harmed by malpractice every year, they won’t lift a finger to help you and they’ll tell you your life’s only worth up to $250,000.”

While members of CJA deeply sympathize with the many years of pain and suffering endured by Schiavo and her family as a result of medical negligence, Lyon said, “You can’t have it both ways. You can’t defend the rights of Terri Schiavo and not the rights of everyone else injured by malpractice. Every victim deserves respect, sympathy and justice, regardless of whether it’s politically advantageous.”

Lyon explained that the $250,000 cap on non-economic damages being pushed by the president and his congressional allies unfairly discriminates against people just like Terri Schiavo – stay-at-home mothers,  housewives, children, the elderly, the mentally ill and others who are not wage earners and, therefore, have little or no economic damages to be recovered.

“In a case where a mother, grandmother or child dies as a result of malpractice, the value of that person’s life would be reduced to a maximum of $250,000 under the cap being proposed by the president and Congress,” said Lyon . “Politicians in Washington should show the same outrage over the unfairness of a $250,000 cap as they do about Terri Schiavo’s plight.”  

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