Lessons from Jury Duty?

Why is it that its said to be a privilege to serve but no one really wants to do it, well other than retired folks who's soaps are reruns. Maybe its that it seems to come at the most inopportune times, or maybe its the slow drawn out process just to be initiated into the realm of juror that is rather a pain in the ass.

If you have never gotten the "opportunity" to be called for Jury duty is interesting, and nothing like Law and Order makes it out to be. Don't get me wrong because even though it is time consuming, it was insightful into the process involved. Its similar to what I'd imagine the military draft was like only on a civilian aspect. Being randomly (though I'm convinced that because I voted in the last high profile election it threw flags up as still being an active member of society) selected by mail a few weeks before of my required attendance. Sure you can get excused but than you still need to show the next time, so you cant really get out of it. Upon your arrival you realize that you are one of a lucky few 120+ members of the community to be reviewed and given the chance to be scrutinized by a judge and lawyers.

Now it got me thinking, what if EMS worked the same way the courts did? Your in a motor vehicle crash, and are in need of care but you had to wait close to a year until a group of knowledgeable folks question a perspective gathering of 120 people who have randomly been selected just to weed through them and reduce down to 12 people. Now that would all have to occur before you even had the chance to be assessed or the evidence of mechanism of injury reviewed. Than once that group has been whittled down from 120 to 12 those same said knowledgeable folks than present the information to the group of 12 who make a decision of if you've really been in a Motor Vehicle Crash before they pass their verdict of to the Judge.

OK,OK,OK I know a little far fetched, right? Obviously there is no way legally let alone ethically this would be a reality. My only point is that in EMS we strive to make things better, but let us not forget they can always be worse.

Be Safe
Ambulance Junkie