Kasia Mulligan, national spokesperson for Patients Come First (PCF), said a rise in federal civil lawsuits against healthcare industries is driven by “frivolous lawsuits” from firms looking for a return on investment, often leading to the detriment of the patients.
"Over the last decade, mass tort lawsuits have exploded in the U.S., with many cases being brought against companies operating in the healthcare sector,” Mulligan said in a column on RealClearPolicy. “According to a Wall Street Journal news report, the number of federal civil cases increased almost a quarter from the year prior.”
“Litigation of this nature has sometimes served to hold bad actors accountable and ensure just compensation for victims,” she said. “However, the unfortunate reality is that the recent surge has largely been driven by frivolous lawsuits, with some private-equity firms and hedge funds joining in on the action, loaning out billions to law firms to fund litigation and for ad time with the expectation of a return on their investments. While these cases may intend to benefit patients, they end up hindering progress, causing patients to ultimately bear the brunt of lost innovation."
Mulligan explains that unnecessary litigation can block the research and implementation of new methods and treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s and different cancers. It also causes a drain on hospital or research facility’s finances, leaving them less able to pursue research opportunities for patient treatments.
PCF launched in March of this year, with executive directors Julie Gill Shuffield, Connie Farrow, and Jeannette Hoffman based in California, Missouri, and New Jersey respectively.
Mulligan has been the founder of her own consulting firm, Elevated Navigation, LLC, as well as an executive with several D.C.-based communications firms, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously worked as communications director for U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and as manager of external affairs for the American Enterprise Institute.