James Woods Supports Proposed Apology Law

By: Angela

From time to time, celebrities find themselves on the receiving end of negligent health care. The most famous example in the recent past is, of course, Michael Jackson. In late 2011, Conrad Murray, M.D., was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, with a 4-year prison sentence.  A civil suit is in the works. Other celebrity cases include the heparin overdose involving Dennis Quaid’s newborn twins, and John Ritter’s misdiagnosed aortic dissection.

This week, in the wake of his own experience with negligent care, actor James Woods will testify before the Rhode Island legislature concerning a law to protect apologies made by health care providers. Sadly, James Woods’ brother, Michael, died after a 2006 heart attack in a Rhode Island hospital, where he presented with vomiting and a sore throat. The family sued, alleging negligent management of his symptoms resulting in his death. The case settled before trial, for an undisclosed amount, after the president of the hospital called him and apologized. Now Mr. Woods is speaking out in favor of apology legislation.

The coverage this week slightly skews the issue, however. The AP article states:

Woods’ brother, Michael, died of a heart attack at Kent Hospital in 2006. Woods sued the hospital accusing emergency room staff of not doing enough to save his brother, but he settled the lawsuit after a hospital executive apologized and agreed to start an institute in Michael Woods’ name.

From this blurb, it almost sounds as though the Woods family dropped the lawsuit due to the apology. Actually, there was also a monetary payment to the family (according to Woods, who couldn’t discuss the total amount, his brother’s children “will be provided for” under the settlement).

Although laws protecting apologetic statements might make it easier to bear the emotional fallout of a catastrophic error, it is incorrect to think this type of law removes the need for civil lawsuits. An apology doesn’t cover the earnings of a lost parent, doesn’t pay for the additional health care costs of a missed diagnosis, and doesn’t provide tangible accountability for the effect of the negligence.

Nonetheless, I applaud James Woods for talking about these issues publicly and encouraging providers to talk about mistakes with their patients. It is encouraging to see those in the spotlight speaking out about patient safety.