Raphaelson Law

The two frontrunners du jour for the GOP presidential nomination have similar views on a number of issues. But not, surprisingly, on one important issue anymore.

Viewers of the televised debates between candidates seeking the republican nomination for president of the United States have heard a lot of talk over the past few months from the seven men, and one woman, left standing in a contest that has become at once a contentious melodrama, and at times a silly, gaffe-prone side show, to win over the hearts and minds of American voters.

It seems as if keeping track of bus crashes in the U.S., and the injuries and deaths they cause, is as hard as trying to keep track of the white-tailed deer population in the Adirondacks.

The job of the former is supposed to be the responsibility of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). When NHTSA tries to calculate bus accident fatalities, it relies on the massive reporting system known as FARS, which is supposed to hold detailed records of every fatal bus crash in the country.

But the problem is the system contains no official definition for bus. As a result, statisticians must rely on a crude approximation for these vehicles, which in NHTSA parlance is known as "Cross Country/Intercity Motor Coach." Some bus accidents, as a result, are not reported because they are listed under other categories.

I’m Getting a Little Nervous

I am starting to get a little uncomfortable with the direction some policy discussions are taking with reference to the alleged connections between medical malpractice law suits and the debt crisis.  Yes, in fact, the amount of medical negligence in the nation is shocking and frightening.  What boggles my mind, and what should certainly raise a red flag for readers of this newsletter, is how elected officials, particularly on the right, and other respected opinion leaders are ignoring the real problems in our healthcare system. They are apparently turning a blind eye when it comes to addressing the problem of deaths, injuries and proven remedies that greatly reduce the incidence of doctor and hospital error. Instead, the insurance and big medicine lobbies are convincing lawmakers to misguidedly focus on reducing the accountability of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers. It’s to hell with the legal rights of sick and injured patients. And then to add insult to injury, taxpayers are being forced to pick up the tab to care for the injured, while the insurance industry makes off like bandits. Where is the logic, and fairness, here?

The law firm of Raphaelson and Levine expresses our sincere condolences to the family of Leiby Kletzy.  We'd like to take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt sentiments  to their community in Brooklyn, and by extentsion, to all of New York City for this horrible and inhumane crime that has befallen us all.  Unfortunate circumstances, which sometimes result with disastrous endings, have difficult and often negative consequences on the lives of those who have been victimized, as well as their families.