Wrongful Death Bill Could Land on Gov’s Desk at Any Time Now: Urge Her to Veto it!

Wrongful Death Bill Could Land on Gov’s Desk at Any Time Now: Urge Her to Veto it!

Dear Colleagues,

We must come together to ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers. Time is running out to contact the Governor to urge her to veto the Wrongful Death bill, which could land on her desk at any time now.

If signed into law, this seemingly well-intended legislation will increase the types of damages awardable to grieving families in wrongful death lawsuits but at the same time have severe unintended negative consequences. These include a high potential for increases in litigation, ambiguities in calculating emotional anguish, higher healthcare and insurance costs, frivolous claims, impacts on liability and insurance coverage, financial repercussions for businesses, inconsistent awards, and a deterrent for investment and healthcare innovation. The inevitable extraordinary increased cost of delivering patient care arising from this legislation will almost certainly drive many physicians to leave the state or retire early, leaving many patients without the care they need—especially in underserved areas. In short, this bill would help some New Yorkers but in the process harm many more New Yorkers.

According to Crains New York Business and The Center Square, local governments including New York City have joined business and medical groups urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to veto The Grieving Families Act, a bill that would expand the types of damages people could obtain from wrongful death lawsuits. Last week, opponents of the bill, including MSSNY, the Business Council of New York State, and a slew of insurance, legal defense and medical groups sent a joint letter to Governor Hochul in anticipation that the bill will cross her desk before the end of the year. “Insurance premiums are already higher in New York than almost any other state in the country,” they wrote. “This legislation would deter business creation, make it harder to retain and attract medical professionals, and strain our local governments’ limited resources. Access to government services will be put at risk.”

The state’s Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officers also spoke out against the bill, fearing that it could strain the bottom lines of small local governments. “As cities and villages across New York navigate workforce shortages and strained finances, the last thing they need to worry about is increased litigation and liability insurance costs,” said Barbara Van Epps, the Conference of Mayors’ Executive Director.

I encourage you to ask your medical colleagues, friends, and families to contact the Governor and encourage another veto.

Send a letter to the governor here. 

Call the Governor’s office at 518-474-8390 # 3. Then press option 1 to leave a voicemail or option 2 to speak with a staff person in the Governor’s office: “I am Dr. ___ ___ requesting the Governor to Veto the Grieving Families Act.”

Additionally, MSSNY has compiled talking points for you to use here.

Let’s do our part to encourage the Governor to veto this bill—not only for our physician colleagues but for the health and safety of all New Yorkers. Instead, let’s call on our lawmakers to develop balanced legislation that ensures that our health care safety net remains available for the patients we serve.

Paul A. Pipia, MD
MSSNY President