No. 647: Civil Justice or Legal Lottery?

President Bush and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina represent two contrasting sides of legal liability settlements. Candidate Bush gave bold views with specific goals during the campaign. Last week in Scranton, Pa., Bush renewed a call to cap "pain and suffering" awards at $250,000. Edwards said recently that the administration plans would benefit the insurance industry at the expense of patients injured by doctors. He and Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Patrick Leahy of Vermont want to shift the blame and impose "tougher regulation of insurance companies." They believe that victims have a right to unlimited access to compensation ? from presumed deep pockets.