Justice

With rising awareness of the tragic scope of the environmental injury incurred by so many citizens, young and old, will come a rising demand for justice on behalf of those injured parties. In a just society, restitution for these injuries must be provided: the injured individuals must be acknowledged and their suffering recognized; compensation must be provided to injured parties and their families; and ultimately, accountability for damage and failure must be identified so that important lessons can be learned and passed forward. One such lesson is that a new social contract is required that respects and honors past and potential victims of medical error, arrogance, and avarice. Therefore, we call for a new contract with parents and consumers, one anchored not on a grand gamble and utilitarian calculus, but rather from behind a veil of ignorance, where deference is given to all victims of medical injury and respect accorded equally to all forms of suffering, those that include the absence of intervention as well as its benefits.