The implications of a successful lawsuit in this instance would have been a great boon; the medical equipment and pharmaceutical industries seem ironically to be unethical and uncaring. While they manufacture goods that can potentially save lives, they base corporate decisions not on the welfare of others but solely on profit. Legislation could prevent unscrupulous business procedures in the future. 3. Manufacturers should indeed be held liable for withholding or failing to market products that could prevent injuries, even if they do hold the exclusive patent rights. Public safety and welfare should trump the pursuit of profit; a balance must be struck between the rights of corporations or individuals to maximize profit and their obligations as citizens to prevent harm. In many ways, withholding the patent of a product like the safety syringe actually causes injury because a piece of information or technology is being deliberately held back. It is as if Ford was permitted to manufacture the Pinto. The government...

In this case, all parties share somewhat in the moral responsibilities. Maryann Rockwood is responsible for following to the best of her abilities the safety procedures specific to her line of work. However, as the authors point out, nurses often work under duress and in stressful situations, following all safety procedures is unfeasible or impossible. Therefore, the clinic at which she worked is also partly responsible for overworking her by being understaffed. However, clinics operate under tight budgets due to the government's unwillingness to afford more funding for medical care services and therefore the government deserves a considerable portion of the blame if not most of it. Becton Dickinson is also morally responsible, as they deliberately and consciously withheld a safety product from the market, a product that could have saved countless lives. The government and Becton Dickinson share most moral responsibility in…