HRMI Executive Director Mr. Henrikas Mickevičius commented on the unprecendeted award of 1 million Litas as moral compensation in a case involving serious injury to twin infants at a hospital in Marijampolė.
Two premature babies were severely injured because of medics’ fault. The accident happened in Marijampolė hospital a year ago. Today the court awarded 1 million Litas remuneration for Zdaniai family in order to compensate for immaterial harm. This sum shall be paid by public entity “Marijampolės ligoninė”.
HRMI Executive Director Mr. Henrikas Mickevičius said that such practice will be a good start for patients seeking moral damage remuneration. Moreover, this case should have deep preventive influence upon medics’ approach towards patient rights.
The court decision of this kind is complimentary by all means, but it is important to have in mind other patients’ rights. In his comments, HRMI Board chairman Mr. Kęstutis Čilinskas said that if the Supreme court won’t change this decision, it could encourage other patients to raise million-sum suits for medics’ mistakes. According to Mr. Čilinskas, such course of events would considerably restrict possibilities of other patients to get due services or remuneration. Therefore, it is important to form such legal practice that maximum remuneration of immaterial damage would not undermine the rights of other patients.
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute