Recent News
Q&A: Physicians regard legal system as broken, says Doctors Co. CEO
Dr. Richard Anderson, CEO of the Doctors Co., a physician-owned medical malpractice insurer, was named chairman of PIAA, the insurance industry trade association that represents medical professional liability insurance companies and risk retention groups. The former...
Challenge to medical liability law could complicate pre-suit process
A medical liability case, even if successful, can cause financial, emotional and reputational harm to a physician—and also to the patient who brings the suit. A 2013 amendment to the Florida Medical Liability Act, which requires the plaintiff to release relevant...
New law will limit lawsuits on Texas doctors
A medical malpractice lawsuit filed by a New Mexico patient against a Texas doctor could have disrupted care for patients throughout the state, said state Rep. Terry McMillan, R-Las Cruces. Legislation sponsored by McMillan that takes effect Friday will temporarily...
Medical Liability Reform
The nation’s medical liability system is broken, and it has imperiled patient access and imposed tremendous costs on our nation. The current system has forced doctors out of practicing in certain specialties; it has caused trauma centers to close; and it has forced...
As malpractice verdicts drop in Pennsylvania, officials disagree on implications
Medical malpractice jury verdicts hit a 15-year low statewide last year, a sign the medical community sees as welcome relief from escalating insurance premiums but lawyers view as evidence that injured patients are being unfairly denied an opportunity for redress. In...
Medical Malpractice Proposal Seeks Out Public Vote
Advocates of capping noneconomic damage awards in lawsuits against health care providers have taken a new tack. They want to amend the Arkansas Constitution instead of making change through the Arkansas Legislature. “Every time we wanted to do something legislatively,...
Legal reform would benefit business in New York
E.J. McMahon’s recent column in the Poughkeepsie Journal champions reform of New York’s Scaffold Law, possibly the most litigation-friendly statute in the nation (“N.Y. leaders have means to improve business climate,” May 16). His attention to the law highlights how...
AHRQ Toolkit Helps Health Care Organizations and Providers Communicate With Patients and Families When Harm Occurs
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) today released a new online toolkit to help hospital and health system leaders and clinicians communicate accurately and openly with patients and their families when something goes wrong with their care. The...
Illinois’ Court Set to Rule on Liability Limitations
Under fire in the state of Illinois are the statute of limitations for medical liability lawsuits, with the possibility that they could be extended and leave physicians indefinitely vulnerable to medical lawsuit abuse. Currently in Illinois, wrongful death suits must...
AG approves ballot bid on lawsuits
Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment to restrict the size of jury verdicts against medical care providers cleared a hurdle Wednesday in their effort to get the proposal on the November ballot. On Wednesday, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge...