Sue, Baby, Sue

By Author: Steven Johnson
Total Articles: 494
Comment this article

Thanks to Sarah Palin, we can now put verbs on either side of "baby" and still make perfect sense. In this case, we consumers all want there to be thousands of attorneys around to protect our interests when capitalist corporations sell us products that injure us. It can be a car that just will not stop no matter how hard we put our foot on the brake or a tomato that tries to kill us with salmonella. Just recently, even though we're nowhere near Thanksgiving, 36 million pounds of turkey meat had to pulled from supermarket freezers around the country because it was dangerous. Cargill's factory, where the meat was processed, has been closed down. Without attorneys to sue and get damages to cover the cost of our medical treatment, loss of earnings, and so on, we would pay for the product and then pay for our losses. Attorneys are wonderful human beings who deliver a great social service. Unless, that is, you listen to the GOP. To Republicans, attorneys are the spawn of the Devil who threaten to put good profit-earning companies out of business. The right wing believes attorneys are out of control and there must be limits placed ...
... on our right to sue those who injure us.

This is particularly hotly debated when it comes to the medical profession and the drugs they prescribe. The GOP wants limits on claims of professional negligence, and even suggests restricting the right to sue should people be injured by drugs or medical devices approved by the FDA. As to the latter, the argument goes that the FDA rigorously tests drugs and devices, and only licenses those that help more than harm patients. On the other side of the fence, we've recently had some interesting cases where attorneys have argued patients should be allowed to sue even though they ignored all the safety warnings in the leaflets sent out with the drugs. In one case, the patient acted as a complete idiot and not only took an outrageously high dose but did so for nearly a year. When he found the drug had damaged his stomach, he persuaded an attorney to sue. No one, he argued, can be expected to read and understand warnings put out by manufacturers. Everyone should be allowed to self-medicate and then sue if it goes wrong. Attorneys, you gotta love 'em - always prepared to take on hopeless cases, gambling there will be prejudiced juries prepared to award damages against pharmaceutical companies.

All of which brings us to Accutane. There have been some cases involving celebrities who, fearing they would no longer be considered beautiful people, used the drug excessively and then tried to complain. At this point, we should note some of the research from outside the US which finds this drug effective and perfectly safe if taken at low dosage. The trials have lasted for up to a year without there being any adverse side effects. So the moral of all this should be clear. Follow the foreign research, take very low doses of Accutane and your acne will disappear. Abuse the drug by taking too much for too long and you will end up with serious problems. Fortunately, if you are injured, there will always be attorneys prepared to take on your case.