The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is running a story about a proposed bill that would overturn the Feres Doctrine. This is the result of a Supreme Court ruling that concluded service members do not have the right to sue for medical malpractice. The story discusses a Marine with skin cancer who was misdiagnosed and an Airman who died during a routine surgery for appendectomy.
It would seem logical that service members who are injured as a result of medical malpractice should be entitled to compensation. At the same time how could the military protect itself from those who would file these lawsuits for nefarious reasons? How would medical care delivered in a combat zone or under other adverse circumstances be viewed in these lawsuits?
