It's just another in a long string of evidences that our society is outrageously litigious--which is to say unwilling merely to adapt to adversity and mishap.
Doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals will make mistakes that they could have avoided--they're human, after all. And what's more, they're no less prone to error than a police officer, accountant, politician, or taxi driver. It just so happens that the stakes are somewhat higher than for most working folks: their small errors can have big effects on people's lives (even end them), and people get desperate and vindictive when they're hurt... just like wild animals.
So much for progress in civilization, eh?
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***UPDATE***
A reader makes an important point:
I fully understand why they're doing it. A doctor is a human being...I daresay most doctors would like to express sorrow for someone's loss. But even if they did nothing wrong, if they express sorrow in the sense of "I'm sorry for your loss" they risk being sued for it.Of course that's the reason for the bill being proposed. But wouldn't it be better if people saw a human being (rather like themselves) under the labcoat? Is there a way to discourage the view that doctors work miracles, perhaps by doctors themselves actively working against such a view? And can we not make the bringing of frivolous suits more costly (and rare)--by requiring the loser to pay all court costs (and perhaps a frivolous suit fee)? Perhaps such measures would make gramatical engineering less urgent.
