People calling themselves victims of medical malpractice are coming to Washington this week to "discuss the devastation" that President Bush's tort reform plan supposedly would cause "many families." The Center for Justice and Democracyannounced that 50 families from 26 states will be in Washington on Feb. 8 and 9, demanding to meet with President Bush so they can explain things from a "patient's perspective." According to a statement issued on behalf of the families, "It is wrong for Washington politicians to decide how much our injuries are worth. That is the role of juries, and patients should not be stripped of their constitutional rights to have a jury decide fair compensation." The families specifically oppose caps on pain-and-suffering damages. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the Class Action Fairness Act this week. Among other things, the bill would require large class-action suits to be filed in federal court rather than state court, something that would prevent trial lawyers from "venue shopping" - looking for states where jurors tend to make huge awards to plaintiffs.
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