Ad Campaigns: A Bitter Pill | Big
Insurance/HMOs | Linda McDougal and "Holding
Them Accountable"
"A Bitter Pill" Ad Urges
Congress to Put Patient Safety First
Vioxx
caused 55,000 deaths and 140,000 injuries. As Merck's trial begins,
Congress shouldn't interfere. Yet, that's exactly what they are
doing with a medical malpractice bill that would protect drug companies
from full liability – even when they knowingly market dangerous
drugs like Vioxx. "This deceptive legislation would remove
current protections for millions of Americans who rely on prescription
drugs – while the drug industry is granted special protections
which makes them unaccountable for their grave mistakes," reads
this ad. "Is this a prescription for reform – or just
another giveaway to the big pharmaceutical companies?"
Help us spread the word by sharing this ad with a friend; posting
it in your office; or printing it in your local community newspaper.
Download a copy of the
announcement here.
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Ad Campaigns Take on Big Insurance and HMOs
"The
Cat's Out of the Bag"
Earlier this year, the top insurance industry spokesperson admitted
the truth: limiting the legal rights of American families will never
result in lower insurance premiums for doctors, patients or anyone
else.
Now, a new ad sponsored
by AAJ educates the public about this important admission.
"The insurance industry has finally fessed up. The medical
malpractice bill will not lead to lower insurance premiums,"
the ad says. "What it would mean is higher insurance company
profits, while victims of medical negligence lose their rights and
patients and doctors get gouged."
Help us spread the word by sharing this ad with a friend; posting
it in your office; or printing it in your local community newspaper.
Download a copy of the
announcement here.
"Stop Feeding the Insurance Industry"
On April 5, 2005, AAJ launched a television, print and online
advertising campaign taking on big insurance and the HMOs as the
real culprits behind Americans' difficulty in getting quality, affordable
health care.
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In the television ad, insurance companies are called out
for "price gouging and record profits, ignoring innocent
victims of medical negligence, harming health care…"
and Americans are asked to "tell Congress to stop feeding
the insurance industry and stand up for consumers."
Proposals to arbitrarily cap compensation for victims of
medical negligence won't reduce medical errors and won't reduce
malpractice premiums for doctors, but they will benefit the
insurance industry. AAJ President Todd A. Smith notes how
important it is that we get the truth out: "The insurance
industry and HMOs are just under the surface in the debate
about health care. And if they scam Americans into believing
that the solution to the health care problems in this country
is to give up our rights, it’ll be too late to fight
back."
State Trial
Lawyer Associations and AAJ members interested in airing
these ads locally should contact Anna Bell Farrar at (202)
965-3500, x298 or annabell.farrar@justice.org.
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Watch
the Ad | Download
the Print Ad
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the ad.
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Additional Resources
During the past election cycle, there were vitriolic anti-trial lawyer,
anti-consumer ads broadcast by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce through
its so-called 527 front group, the "November Fund."
The good news is that there were also ads on the airwaves telling
the truth about trial lawyers thanks to our allies and others committed
to the rights of regular Americans.
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American
Family Voices, a national advocacy group that fights on
behalf of middle class and low income families broadcast a terrific
TV ad featuring Linda McDougal, a Wisconsin woman who, as a
result of medical malpractice and a misdiagnosis of breast cancer,
underwent an unnecessary double mastectomy.
The ad aired nationally on CNN and CNN Headline News. In addition,
it was on local broadcast stations in states including Colorado,
Oklahoma, and Alaska.
Another group supportive of the civil justice system, Stronger
America Now, broadcast TV ads ("Justice" and "Holding
Them Accountable") in Ohio, Iowa, West Virginia, New Mexico,
and other states where anti-trial lawyer groups were attacking
trial lawyers in an especially untruthful way.
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