Mark Geragos: CIGNA guilty of negligent homicide in girl's death

[K Gardner]

edited title of post :-)

Press conference just concluded, Geragos to proceed..

L.A. television news reported just 12 hours later that Nataline’s Father Blames Cigna in Daughter’s Death, and then it was announced that high-profile attorney Mark Geragos will be representing the Sarkisyan family. Geragos held a press conference to announce his interest and avenues of possible action against Cigna.

"I think Cigna’s executives and the bean counters involved in denying coverage should be charged with both willful negligent homicide as well as practicing medicine without a license. I want to see them frog-marched off to prison, where counting beans won’t hurt anybody. I want to see a claim for punitive damages in excess of Cigna’s entire projected profits for the next year."

Geragos will do what he can, and we can all hope that what promises to be a very high profile case will at long last obviate the need for single payer health care in the United States.

[supernova]

1. YYYYEEEESSSSSS!!! MY PRECIOUS!!!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2510576&mesg_id=2510750

[K Gardner]

2. Exactly.. a tragedy of such unbelievable proportions it just won't go away..

I pray for the family as I pray for each and every patient I see in the ER who face life at the mercy of insurance companies, or worse, without insurance at all. Geragos will go all the way with this and it's finally getting MSM Coverage. I'm proud to be a card carrying member of the California Nurse's Association !

[supernova]

4. God bless for your nursing work

That's a very tough job most people don't realize how tough.

:hug:

[acmavm]

3. In a just world with a decent court system this would be a slam dunk.

Could go into court and ask for a Directed Verdict and get it.

[kestrel91316]

5. IMHO that's what insurance companies do "best" - practicing

medicine without a license. They are NOT qualified to make medical decisions. PERIOD.

[K Gardner]

6. No, they're not. But two million people in the U.S. are employed by Ins Companies to do

just that.. their sole job from 9-5 everyday is to deny claims. I'm not an advocate of unemployment, but these people need to be unemployed immediately.

[EFerrari]

7. Go, Mark!

:kick:

[Bitwit1234]

8. Law and Order (original) had something similar

to this about 3 or 4 years ago. Of course they held the insurance responsible and the directors etc were charged with negligible homicide. But they usually are pretty thorough in their research for the programs so I hope that these monsters get what is coming to them.

The corporations in this country in the last seven years have gone wild, in doing anything they want and even if it is against the law. That's because they know this administration will uphold them. It is time they were made to stop and be held accountable.

[K Gardner]

9. Link to Video of Natalie's Fight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbf6WCwjptk

The face of bravery against insurmountable odds

[Jeanette in FL]

12. Heartbreaking video

Thank you very much for the link. That is so sad.

RIP, Nataline.

[Triana]

10. GO Mr. Geragos....

...too bad our John Edwards isn't on this case. Bet he'd win it. This is JUST the type of case Senator Edwards won all the time in NC.

THAT'S why I'm glad he's running for President.

[K Gardner]

16. I agree that Edwards would undoubtedly win this case. I'm glad he's keeping

healthcare front and center in his campaign.

[ThomCat]

11. It's long past time that insurance companies were nailed

for denying necessary medical care. x(

I hope they win so big that they shut Cigna down.

[K Gardner]

14. I think ALL insurance companies are getting ready to see mass demonstrations and public

protests. The people (i.e. we, the unwashed desperate masses) have seen that public outcry can work, sadly too late for Natalee.

Terrible that we have to hire a lawyer when we take out an insurance policy. It outrages me that most of the candidates are keeping these bloodsuckers "in the loop" in their healthcare plans.

[Kansas Wyatt]

23. The only way a government health care system can work is to....

Remove the PARASITES... insurance companies.

[supernova]

15. I would shout with glee

to see the ins industry completely gutted and replaced by universal healthcare.

If there is anyone who needs to be unemployed it's ins co employees.

[K Gardner]

13. CIGNA: "We decided to make an exception in this rare and unusual case"

They are in the process of updating their statement in the wake of Natalee's death. Geragos has told reporters: "They maliciously killed her."

[hvn_nbr_2]

17. "Murder by spreadsheet."

There was another thread on DU a couple days ago about this case, with the title "Murder by Spreadsheet." I think that's a meme we should be spreading.

[K Gardner]

18. That was an excellent thread and I totally agree. Good idea.

[supernova]

20. Heh. just shy of 200,000 hits for "murder by spreadsheet"

on google.

Very first links are to Daily Kos and DU threads.

[K Gardner]

21. WOW ! Very impressive !

[samsingh]

19. i believe that crappy shitty company is

if i had any stock in there i'd take it out

[AzDar]

22. Excellent. And when all is said and done, I hope that Cigna is so

financially traumatized that they , nor any other 'provider', will EVER try this shit again.
I'm also sure that'll be of very little comfort to this family....:cry:

[BrklynLiberal]

24. Please...Please... Please... Please. Let CIGNA lose on ALL counts and hopefully everyone involved

in that tragic decision will go to jail....AND they will all be fined BILLIONS!!!!

[quiet.american]

25. What a horrible tragedy.... CIGNA... Callous Indifferent Greed Naked Avarice

I can only imagine the anguish of the family....

Any bets on how long it will take CIGNA's PR firm to put out a touchy-feeling 30-second spot to be aired during Sunday morning talk shows that will spin the firm as the most concerned, most caring in the industry?

[K Gardner]

26. OK, now THAT needs to be a poster !

[pleah]

27. Yes they are.

[JerseygirlCT]

28. We can hope that this tragedy adds some balance to the overall

equation.

Right now, insurance companies are working toward one goal: collect fees and pay out as little as possible. The bottom line rules all.

If there were a serious fear of financial repercussions, that might put some thoughtfulness back into the mix. It would have to be a serious fear, however. I suspect this will flare up and then fade away like so much else. They'll take a short-term PR hit, possible financial hit (they're probably covered for these sort of things themselves) and then continue on the way they and all the other health care insurance companies have been operating.

It's the system that's sick -- CIGNA is just a symptom.

[Cass]

29. Lock them up and bankrupt them.

Geragos' statement was right on.

[K Gardner]

30. Bankruptcy or jail is really the ONLY thing that will get their attention..

as their bottom line plummets.

[Cass]

31. Yep, and it will generate tons of media coverage.

Hopefully this will trigger off a good discussion of our need for universal health coverage.

edit: spelling