A story published Sunday on captimes.com by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism revealed the effects of a 2011 tort reform law. A provision in the law prevents state health inspection records from being used by families in civil lawsuits against nursing homes and other long-term health care providers, or in criminal cases against providers charged with abuse or neglect.
The story by Sarah Karon sparked many comments from Cap Times readers after it was posted. Most were outraged by the new law, although a handful agreed with supporters of the bill that the measure was needed to curb frivolous lawsuits.
And now national commentators are starting to weigh in as well.
ThePopTort.com, the lively blog by New York Law School’s Center for Justice and Democracy, posted Wednesday an article titled “The Brutality of Wisconsin’s Nursing Home ‘Tort Reform’ Law.” After quoting a couple of lines from the musical “Hair” (“How can people be so heartless/How can people be so cruel/Easy to be hard/Easy to be cold”), the blog says that the laws are part of a package pushed by the nursing home industry to “make it virtually impossible for grossly negligent facilities to ever be liable for punitive damages.”
“Pay close attention, Baby Boomers,” the blog adds.
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For a copy of the complete article, contact CJ&D.
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