Originally Posted by
kewlJ
Boy, I just don't like the idea of "punitive" damages. Punitive comes from punishment does it not? Doctors and nurses go into that field because they want to help people. There is a lot of schooling and dedication. They do the best they can. Being humans, there are sometimes mistakes made. Are we punishing them for that?
Now a patient that has suffered a loss of quality of life, due to such a mistake like the person in this story, is entitled to some compensation, certainly including covering medical bills, but it shouldn't be about punishing anyone.