Recent News
Kansas Supreme Court upholds medical malpractice cap
The war on medical malpractice caps rages on. Although several state Supreme Courts have recently struck down malpractice laws aiming to limit awards for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, the Kansas Supreme Court has just ruled that the law is...
Third parties can’t sue doctors when injured by patients, says state high court
Physician advocates are praising a Connecticut Supreme Court ruling they say protects doctors from being sued unfairly by third parties who are injured by patients. In a Sept. 17 decision, judges said physicians owe no duty to nonpatients who are harmed because of a...
Ga. group offers way to curb health care costs
A Gallup survey this summer found that 26 percent of all health care spending in Georgia is on unnecessary tests. The state’s doctors ring up $15 billion annually in avoidable costs, mostly in efforts to create evidence in case they are sued. Just in the...
Legislators Wrestle With Revamping Oregon’s Health Care System
As Oregon attempts to revamp its health care system, the state legislature will have to make all kinds of changes.One goal, which has plagued lawmakers for years, is to reduce the cost of medical malpractice lawsuits.Governor John Kitzhaber set up a workgroup this...
GUEST: Medical liability an issue
In 2003, doctors in both Texas and New York faced a crisis. Excessive, costly and often baseless litigation was forcing physicians to limit their practices or shut their doors altogether. Hospitals were spending increasing amounts for lawsuits rather than investing in...
Appeals court upholds often-cited medical liability damages cap
In a victory for doctors, a Texas appeals court has upheld as constitutional the state’s $250,000 noneconomic damages cap in medical liability cases.The decision is the first time an appellate court has validated the limit under the state’s constitution. A...
News Flash: Doctors, Lawyers Work Together on Med-Mal Reform
It may not seem like big news, but if you’ve followed the long-running, stubborn and mostly dug-in debate over reforming medical malpractice in the U.S., you know that when doctors and lawyers issue a joint news release, something is really going on. (As Carey put it:...
EDITORIAL: A start on malpractice
Republicans in the Oregon Legislature are getting their first look at what they won in exchange for their support for Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber’s health care transformation plan. It’s not the overhaul of rules for medical malpractice lawsuits the Republicans...
State malpractice judgments at 10 year low
The number of Oklahoma malpractice judgments has come down sharply in the past two years and is at the lowest level of the decade, according to federal statistics. "It appears to me lawsuit reform is already delivering what it promised," said Secretary of State Glenn...
Medical liability: Court strikes down noneconomic damages cap
The Supreme Court of Missouri has thrown out the state’s $350,000 noneconomic damages cap on medical lawsuits. After prior court decisions upholding the award limit, physicians said the ruling came as a surprising blow. “It’s extremely disappointing,” said Tim...