The judiciary: surprising supporters of malpractice reform.

Are the judges surprising supporters of malpractice reform? What is the overall message of the ACOG survey of judges, and how can organized medicine use that message? On balance, the ACOG survey of judges shows that they agree with physicians who argue that the present system needs to be changed. The overall message is that the present tort system does not work very well in the area of expert witness testimony, the system of jury decision-making, or the awarding of damages. Since it does not work very well, the medical community must continue to advocate changes to the system, ones that are fair to society as a whole. The judges' opinions on what reforms would better serve society can be persuasive data to present to state and federal legislators. So it's not just lawyers vs. doctors anymore. After all, the judges are lawyers, too. And these lawyers seem to be on the doctors' side.