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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Families of Medical Error Victims: We Need Justice from State Lawmakers

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007   

Madison, WI – In many cases of wrongful death in Wisconsin, families aren't able to have their day in court; and a bill being considered by state lawmakers would change that. The "Family Justice Bill" would affect two groups: parents of unmarried adult children, and adult children of widowed or unmarried parents, who can't sue for wrongful death in cases of medical malpractice.

Eric Rice of Middleton lost his 20-year-old daughter after her medical condition was misdiagnosed. He helped form the Family Justice Network to change what he calls a "discriminatory" law, and he says more than 70 families in similar situations have joined him. They are frustrated with current state law, which prevents them from holding healthcare providers accountable for errors.

"It just tears your heart apart when you hear these stories, and they cannot take any steps to get justice, to get accountability. Your family can never get to trial, your family can never force the doctors to tell you what happened."

Rice says because families are excluded from seeking damages, many of these cases never end up in court,and yet, court is the only place where details about the case are revealed.

"The only way they have to tell you is if you can take them to court. Then they have to do depositions, and they have to tell the truth. So there are many people in the state of Wisconsin who can never find out what happened, and never have the ability to get justice."

Critics of the "Family Justice Bill" say it would open the door to more lawsuits, increasing malpractice insurance costs. Supporters say it's needed to hold health care providers accountable in all cases of malpractice. There's a hearing on the bill in the Wisconsin state Senate today.


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