|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
Archives
03/01/2003 - 04/01/2003 04/01/2003 - 05/01/2003 05/01/2003 - 06/01/2003 06/01/2003 - 07/01/2003 07/01/2003 - 08/01/2003 08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003 09/01/2003 - 10/01/2003 10/01/2003 - 11/01/2003 11/01/2003 - 12/01/2003 12/01/2003 - 01/01/2004 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004 06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004 07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004 08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004 10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004 11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004 12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005 01/01/2005 - 02/01/2005 02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005 04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005 05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005 06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005 07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005 09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005 10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005 11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005 12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006 01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006 04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006 05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006 06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006 07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006 08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006 10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006 11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006 12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007 01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007 03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007 04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007 05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007 06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007 07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007 08/01/2007 - 09/01/2007 09/01/2007 - 10/01/2007 10/01/2007 - 11/01/2007 11/01/2007 - 12/01/2007 12/01/2007 - 01/01/2008 01/01/2008 - 02/01/2008 02/01/2008 - 03/01/2008 03/01/2008 - 04/01/2008 04/01/2008 - 05/01/2008 05/01/2008 - 06/01/2008 06/01/2008 - 07/01/2008 07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008 08/01/2008 - 09/01/2008 09/01/2008 - 10/01/2008 10/01/2008 - 11/01/2008 11/01/2008 - 12/01/2008 12/01/2008 - 01/01/2009 01/01/2009 - 02/01/2009 02/01/2009 - 03/01/2009 03/01/2009 - 04/01/2009 04/01/2009 - 05/01/2009 05/01/2009 - 06/01/2009 06/01/2009 - 07/01/2009 07/01/2009 - 08/01/2009 08/01/2009 - 09/01/2009 09/01/2009 - 10/01/2009 10/01/2009 - 11/01/2009 11/01/2009 - 12/01/2009 12/01/2009 - 01/01/2010 01/01/2010 - 02/01/2010 02/01/2010 - 03/01/2010 03/01/2010 - 04/01/2010  |
About these news links: Some on-line newspapers may require you to register by providing
Soft market takes toll on FinCor Lansing State Journal, MI - Aug 28, 2008 ...The Delta Township-based company, which specializes in medical liability and workers compensation lines, reported today that it earned $4.1 million, or $6.39 per diluted share, for the quarter that ended in June... Medical malpractice news
Panel on Pa. health reform focuses on price tag The Mercury, Pottstown, PA (Associated Press) - Aug 28, 2008 ...Rendell has linked the expansion of state-subsidized health insurance to the reauthorization of MCare, a program that helps doctors pay for malpractice insurance coverage. A policy showdown with Republican lawmakers led to the closure in July of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, a state government research agency... Communities lining up for doc incentives Casper Star, WY (Associated Press) - Aug 28, 2008 ...The Legislature has allocated $400,000 under the program. Each community that receives a grant will get up to $80,000 to help cover a physician's signing bonus, moving expenses and medical malpractice premiums... ERs look skyward to shuttle patients Granite City Press-Record, IL - Aug 28, 2008 ...Asked why there isn't a push to open more hospitals to meet the demand, Sandkuhl said many doctors are weary of Illinois' notorious malpractice track record. The state has long been considered unfriendly to doctors in court, often stacking the odds in favor of patients... The providers' perspective Arkansas Times, Little Rock, AR - Aug 28, 2008 ...“The entire system needs to be reformed starting with the lawyers/medical malpractice expenses which contribute to higher costs of medical care,” one doctor wrote. “This is the single greatest, controllable health care cost and is TOTALLY unjustified and unjustifiable,” another said... Harrisburg panel focuses on broken health care system The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA - Aug 27, 2008 ...Yet businesses groups including the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry tended to take a dim view of government interventions. They tend to favor limits on medical malpractice lawsuits, less regulation, greater competition among health insurers and health care providers... Gov. Otter holds series of meetings on Idaho retiree benefits Idaho Stateman, Boise, ID - Aug 27, 2008 ...Otter and Republican lawmakers crafted the plan, which is meant to help reduce Idaho’s unfunded medical liability that’s now at $442 million... Medical malpractice news
Judge hears arguments over Wisconsin medical fund Beloit Daily News, WI (Associated Press) - Aug 27, 2008 ...The Wisconsin Medical Society sued last year after the Legislature approved the transfer. The society argued that taking money out of the fund used to pay medical malpractice claims was an illegal raid that puts patients and doctors at risk. But Gov. Jim Doyle and state lawmakers who supported the transfer argued the fund had a surplus that could be used for other health care programs... Wisconsin doctors want to keep $250 million malpractice fund WSAW - TV, Wausau, WI - Aug 26, 2008 ...says that the lawmakers decision to take a $200 million from a medical malpractice fund for injured patients and families is wrong. Lawmakers have decided to use the money for medical care for the poor and elderly instead... Medical Society tells Judge Doyle, lawmakers had no right to take $200 million River Falls Journal, WI - Aug 26, 2008 ...Dane County Circuit Judge Michael Nowakowski did not issue an immediate ruling on the medical group’s lawsuit. He promised a written decision, but did not say when. There’s been talk of an appeal no matter what happens which means the Supreme Court may have the final say... Lawyers' group spent over $1.7M lobbying in 2Q Forbes.com, NY (Associated Press) - Aug 26, 2008 ...The American Association for Justice, formerly known as the American Trial Lawyers Association, lobbied on proposals related to medical malpractice reform, rules governing the safety of toys ... Opinion - Anthony J. Sebok: Could the United State profit from a loser-pays-winner's-costs civil litigation system? FindLaw.com - Aug 26, 2008 ...when a plaintiff walks into her lawyer’s office with an injury, the question is typically not “Is she faking it?” but rather “Was the injury the result of the hospital’s malpractice?” The cost of figuring that out can be very high, and can begin to mount up from the very first moment the hospital receives notice of the suit... Editorial: Warnings about reform wrong Wheeling News-Register, WV - Aug 26, 2008 ...Malpractice reform had the effect of turning back a serious problem - loss of doctors in some areas and in certain specialties. It did not prevent those harmed by health care mistakes from obtaining redress... Medical malpractice news
Health insurers describe business as balancing act Toledo Blade, OH - Aug 26, 2008 ...That high utilization was amplified by soaring malpractice complaints, which prompted doctors to practice defensive medicine to cover themselves legally and financially, he said... Editorial: Hidden rate hikes Times Union, Albany, NY - Aug 26, 2008 ...And doctors, along with their patients, can thank Governor Paterson for freezing malpractice rates for a year while the state tries to find a solution to sky-high physician policies... Editorial: Condition improving Newsday, NY - Aug 26, 2008 ...Unfortunately the malpractice debate has often stalled on whether the amount in damages that juries can award injured patients for pain and suffering should be capped. That divisive issue should be taken off the table... Judge to decide on $200 million budget WKOW - TV, Madison, WI - Aug 25, 2008 ...The Wisconsin Medical Society sued last year over the transfer approved by the Legislature with the support of Gov. Jim Doyle. The society argued that taking money out of the fund used to pay off medical malpractice claims was an illegal raid that puts patients and doctors at risk... Lawyers spar over $200 million transferred from medical malpractice fund Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI - Aug 25, 2008 ...Pyper said the fund is an irrevocable trust that is supposed to exist solely for the purpose of satisfying malpractice claims. He said it was unfair for the state to use the fund to balance its budget, calling it a “disguised tax” on doctors... Medical malpractice news
MDC midwife students protest program's demise Miami Herald, FL - Aug 25, 2008 ...Earlier this month, the college suspended the innovative program after asking all of their students to pay $7,000 in course tuition and malpractice insurance in advance. The college cited high costs and low enrollment... Medical malpractice suits on the rise in W.Va. Charleston Daily Mail, WV - Aug 25, 2008 Medical malpractice lawsuits are on the rise again in West Virginia, according to data from the state Medical Association. Lawsuits had plunged a few years ago in the wake of malpractice reforms, but they've been increasing steadily over the past few years... Malpractice rates frozen for year Business First of Buffalo, NY - Aug 25, 2008 ...The freeze is aimed at keeping premiums in check, while allowing state officials to continue developing a long-term reforms to medical malpractice issues. Without it, many physicians would have seen as high as a 30 percent increase in rates, Paterson's office said... Is Internet doctoring the wave of the future? The News Times, Danbury, CT - Aug 25, 2008 ...He also expects the cost of malpractice insurance might sink doctors who dispensing medical advice online. But Thompson said there is some benefit to telemedicine, especially for areas where the nearest doctor is 100 miles away... Lawsuit challenges South Dakota's malpractice cap Insurance Journal, CA (Associated Press) - Aug 25, 2008 ...South Dakota limits the amount of such damages to $500,000. That includes what's commonly thought of as pain and suffering, as well as disability and disfigurement... Opinion - Paul Barringer and Richard Berkowitz: No place to be born The New York Sun, NY - Aug 24, 2008 ...By far, the biggest source for malpractice lawsuits against ob-gyns is neurological damage to newborns, particularly manifested in the development of cerebral palsy... Editorial: Our med mal merry-go-round St. Clair Record, IL - Aug 24, 2008 ...We should keep that in mind over the next two months, as Illinois' High Court reviews the latest round of medical malpractice lawsuit reforms enacted by state lawmakers... VA's approach draws medical professionals Helena Independent Record, MT - Aug 24, 2008 ...VA doctors and other medical professionals also are eligible for federal employee retirement benefits, and don’t have to worry about malpractice insurance. They’re covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act for all services they perform for the VA... Opinion - Wayne M. Willoughby: 'Tort reform' isn't cure for care cost Baltimore Sun, MD - Aug 23, 2008 ...The "frivolous lawsuits" myth was disproved in a 2006 Harvard study that found that 97 percent of medical malpractice claims are based on genuine injuries. In fact, even the CEO of Maryland's largest insurer of doctors conceded in 2004 that "frivolous" lawsuits are not a significant problem in Maryland ... Medical malpractice news
Online doctors make house calls again Connecticut Post, Bridgeport, CT - Aug 22, 2008 ...He also questioned the idea of dispensing medical advice over the Internet, because he expects the cost of malpractice insurance would kill those doctors... Opinion - George H. Limpert: State's medical crisis is for real Daily Local News, West Chester, PA - Aug 22, 2008 ...On close and accurate examination, the facts and arguments Mr. Marciano made in his column serve only to support Dr. Poole's assertion that there has been and continues to be a medical malpractice crisis, which along with an insurance crisis, impacts patient care in Pennsylvania... Bruning calls Nebraska's trial bar 'fairly reasonable' Legal Newsline, Chicago, IL - Aug 21, 2008 ...In Nebraska, punitive damages awards go to the state's schools. "So, there is no incentive for lawyers to ask for them," Bruning said with a chuckle... Editorial: A medical trail blazer Shore Line Times, Madison, CT - Aug 21, 2008 ...A number of Connecticut physicians are turning their talents to other fields in light of soaring medical malpractice and other insurance costs and the even bigger problem of what they perceive as an inability to practice the kind of medicine they believe in... Medical malpractice news
Albany has fix for doctors' insurance ills The New York Sun, NY - Aug 21, 2008 ...Lawmakers placed a moratorium on a rate increase between July 1 of this year and June 30 of next, a move that physicians said avoids an impending crisis and sets the stage for renewed discussions about ways to address the escalating cost of medical malpractice insurance in New York... Editorial: Don't let politics stifle PHC4 The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA - Aug 21, 2008 ...The PHC4 has performed beyond the mandate of the law that created it. It should be reauthorized regardless of what happens with the governor’s health-care proposal or with the Mcare premium abatement program. Editorial: Enid is a medical hub The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK - Aug 20, 2008 ...Just four years ago, Enid had a medical crisis on its hands. Malpractice insurance increases had pushed many obstetricians and gynecologists to the limit and beyond... Medical malpractice news
Michigan health care reform panel supports universal health care Work Force Management, Irvine, CA - Aug 20, 2008 ...Instead, AHIP’s five-point reform plan calls for widespread adoption of electronic medical records, public dissemination of information on the effectiveness and costs of treatment, replacing the medical malpractice court system with dispute resolution... Medical society: Malpractice rates hurt health care The Journal News, White Plains, NY - Aug 20, 2008 ...But state lawmakers have an opportunity to help reform the ailing system by reducing malpractice rates for doctors and by putting more regulations on managed-care companies, representatives from the Westchester County Medical Society and the state's medical society told The Journal News' Editorial Board yesterday... OB services no longer a problem for Enid health care market The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK - Aug 20, 2008 ...Even though high malpractice insurance rates continue to be a problem for physicians, the picture is much brighter today after a concerted effort by both Enid hospitals to recruit more obstetricians to Enid... Opinion - Edward J. Volpintesta: Charter Oak plan hard for doctors The Advocate, Stamford, CT - Aug 20, 2008 ...Why take on more work for less pay and more risk of malpractice suits?" is how many physicians feel. But, if physicians were given assistance in dealing with medical liability, the plan might be more successful... Medical malpractice news
'Never events': Utah hospitals saw nearly 60 serious errors in 2007 Salt Lake Tribune, UT - Aug 19, 2008 ...and other medical malpractice lawyers aren't surprised by the figures, and Austin suspects there are many more. But he said hospitals usually settle egregious cases, and patients, who sign confidentiality agreements, aren't allowed to talk... Malpractice cap work lies ahead Lousiana Medical News, Lafayette, LA - Aug 18, 2008 ...Louisiana is very much in a health care crisis, he said. Some people, including the Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Co. (LAMMICO), would like to enact the Texas malpractice model, which caps non-economic damages at $250,000... Ludlam, founder of healthcare law, dies Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA - Aug 18, 2008 ...The landmark legislation brought down malpractice insurance premiums in California and set a limit of $250,000 on damages for pain and suffering. It is considered a national model for tort reform, according to The Times... Hutchinson practice phases out obstetrics The Wichita Eagle, KS - Aug 18, 2008 ...the group also follows a national trend of more physicians opting out of obstetrics care, a high-risk specialty that generates expensive malpractice insurance premiums... I'll see you in court -- perhaps Wisconsin Law Journal, Milwaukee, WI - Aug 18, 2008 ...According to statistics from the Wisconsin Director of State Courts office, the number total filings for tort cases including product liability, auto accidents and medical malpractice decreased by nearly 17 percent from 8,174 in 2003 to 6,808 in 2007... Medical malpractice news
Study: Md. 31st for individual health care control The Frederick News Post, MD - Aug 18, 2008 ...The study evaluated 24 aspects of government-run health care programs, regulations on private insurance, and medical malpractice policies in each state to determine which have greater control over residents' health care and which allow for more individual choice... Illinois' med mal law on trial St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Aug 18, 2008 A lawsuit testing the constitutionality of Illinois' medical malpractice reforms is expected to come before the state's Supreme Court this fall — and with it the very real possibility that the law will be nixed... Doctors: Malpractice system hurts The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY - Aug 16, 2008 Doctors are hoping to get Gov. David Paterson and state legislators to fix the state's medical malpractice insurance system when they return to Albany Tuesday for a special session... Editorial: Fix state prisons now The Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA - Aug 15, 2008 ...At the time, an average of one prisoner a week was dying from neglect or malpractice. The court warned the state that major reforms were coming at the state's expense. State lawmakers tried to stall the inevitable... Medical malpractice news
Opinion - Lawrence J. McQuillah and Hovannes Abramyan: Tort abuse is costing California billions of dollars The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, CA - Aug 15, 2008 ...Politicians wondering why people can't afford health insurance ought to take a look at tort costs. High medical-malpractice insurance premiums also result in a “brain drain” of good doctors, as many seek legal refuge in safer jurisdictions... Editorial: Out of touch Houston Chronicle, TX - Aug 14, 2008 ...Cornyn told the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club that legislation limiting damage awards in malpractice cases had created greater access to quality health care in Texas, encouraging more doctors to practice here... Opinion - Betsy McCaughey: Hospital infections: Preventable and unacceptable Wall Street Journal, NY - Aug 14, 2008 ...A recent survey from the patient-safety organization Leapfrog found that 87% of hospitals fail to consistently practice infection prevention measures. Insurance companies that sell liability coverage to hospitals could change that by offering lower premiums to hospitals that rigorously follow infection-prevention protocols... Medical malpractice news
Judge could seize $8 billion from state treasury The Oakland Tribune, CA - Aug 14, 2008 ...who said care for the state's 170,000 inmates was so bad that an average of one prisoner a week was dying from neglect or malpractice. It was the most sweeping federal takeover of a prison health care system in the nation's history.... State health care agency gets support for it to continue The Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA - Aug 14, 2008 ...the agency, which he called an “irreplaceable gold standard,” was the unfortunate victim of bad timing in which the Senate tied its reauthorization to an extension of a malpractice insurance subsidy for doctors during budget negotiations... Opinion - David Paul Brown: Universal health care is needed Paradise Post, CA - Aug 14, 2008 ...Here's a few other interesting facts. There's little or no malpractice insurance required in many of the first world countries. Maybe because they don't have the plethora of lawyers that the United States does... Opinion - Clif Cleaveland: Canadian health care has plusses Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN - Aug 14, 2008 ...Malpractice litigation is not a great concern in Canada. All Canadian physicians are insured by a single insurance company which they own. Contingency fees are not allowed unless an attorney can justify them in front of a judge... Medical malpractice news
Capitive insurance conference begins in South Burlington The Burlington Free Press, VT - Aug 13, 2008 ...A captive insurance company is established, for example, when a corporation develops a subsidiary, which is licensed in Vermont, and uses it to provide various types of insurance to the corporate parent, Towle said. Medical malpractice is one of the most quickly growing fields for the industry, he noted... Opinion - Dr. Elfenbein: Too many lawsuits push doctors away Baltimore Sun, MD - Aug 13, 2008 ...While several factors are responsible for the disturbing trend identified by the study by MedChi and the Maryland Hospital Association, liability reform must be part of the solution ... Medical malpractice news
Family doctors called scarce Baltimore Sun, MD - Aug 12, 2008 ...Since they are paid lower rates, general physicians need to work more hours to compensate for their rising expenditures, such as malpractice insurance and supplies... Opinion - Charles R. Morris: Health care for all Commonwealth Magazine, NY - Aug 12, 2008 ...The heaviest cost of the present tort-based system of compensation for medical injury is not malpractice insurance but the resultant secrecy of medical records and the lack of detailed system-wide error tracking... Opinion - Dr. Jeff Hersh: Health system needs more than money The Milford Daily News, MA - Aug 12, 2008 ...Money spent by physicians practicing ``defensive medicine'' to protect themselves from malpractice lawsuits is huge Á some estimates are that 20 percent to 30 percent of the care actually delivered (tests ordered, procedures done and medications prescribed) is unnecessary.... Editorial: Long lines at nation's ERs are a clear call for reform Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA - Aug 11, 2008 ...Meanwhile, hospitals continue to lose money providing emergency care so they opt to close the door. The high cost of malpractice insurance also contributes to this problem... Health care costs seen rising 10 percent in 2009 The Associated Press - Aug 11, 2008 ...Overuse and misuse of services and an "out-of-control medical liability system" also contribute to increases, said Robert Zirkelbach of America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade association representing nearly 1,300 insurers... Medical malpractice news
November election a lawyer's delight Forbes Magazine, NY - Aug 11, 2008 ...If liberals are worried, however, conservatives should be terrified. Whether Obama or McCain wins in November, tort reform appears dead in Washington for at least the next two years... Editorial: Keep medical system healthy Belleville News-Democrat, IL - Aug 11, 2008 ...The medical malpractice reforms were enacted because the people of Illinois demanded them. Now the Supreme Court needs to make those reforms permanent, to ensure that the state's medical community remains in good health. Special delivery: Giving birth at home South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Aug 10, 2008 ...acknowledged doctors haven't always accommodated their patients' desires for births without medical intervention. Obstetricians face several challenges: the high cost of medical malpractice insurance, the fear of being sued and the pressure to practice efficiently in a time of low reimbursement for care... A question of ethics Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA - Aug 10, 2008 A doctor who lost a medical malpractice case has criticized former Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril H. Wecht for writing an autopsy report that described one cause of death, then revising it more than two years later without explanation or changing the date... How Wecht served 2 sides in malpractice suit Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA - Aug 10, 2008 ...Experts say that it is perfectly acceptable for a forensic pathologist to change his mind on a cause of death based on newly discovered evidence or information, but a number interviewed for this story say it goes against accepted practice to re-issue an autopsy report without creating an addendum explaining the change... Opinion - Jack Jawitz: Florida's coming medical disaster The Tampa Tribune, FL - Aug 10, 2008 ...Florida has one of the highest medical liability insurance costs because of the high number of lawyers suing doctors. It costs almost $100,000 to defend a lawsuit even when over 85 percent of physicians are found not guilty of negligence at trial... Medical malpractice news
Study finds settling is better than going to trial The New York Times, NY - Aug 8, 2008 Note to victims of accidents, medical malpractice, broken contracts and the like: When you sue, make a deal.... Paterson signs physician misconduct law Newsday, NY - Aug 8, 2008 ...Among its most significant aspects, legislators said, is that it allows the state Office of Professional Medical Conduct to use medical malpractice histories as a means to launch misconduct probes... Orlando hospitals give resort treatment to maternity rooms, services Orlando Sentinel, FL - Aug 8, 2008 ...The maternity business is hardly a profit leader and can be a money loser because of low reimbursement rates and high premiums for malpractice insurance, among other factors. So why all the fuss over mom?... Opinion - Lance Dickie: Vital signs for national health insurance Seattle Times, WA - Aug 8, 2008 ...Carroll even sees a national single-payer health-insurance plan offering relief for such knotty problems as malpractice insurance. Most of the legal battles focus on the cost of future health care after a bad outcome. Universal coverage resolves that issue... Hospital wins appeal; OK to fire nurse for sex The Philadelphia Inquirer, PA (Associated Press) - Aug 8, 2008 ...The patient, a divorced library assistant who is now 60, sued Baldwin and the hospital last year for negligence, assault and battery, medical malpractice and other claims. That lawsuit is pending... Survey reveals top qualities for consumers choosing a doctor HealthNewsDigest.com, NY - Aug 7, 2008 ...Twenty-three percent say they have checked to see if a doctor has ever been sued for malpractice or if they have ever been disciplined by a regulatory board... Giving birth at home TIME Magazine - Aug 7, 2008 ...But what might seem like an ideal solution has run into roadblocks, as a few prominent centers have closed in recent years because of high malpractice-insurance costs--which means many natural-birth seekers will still have to choose between hospital and home. Medical malpractice news
Mistakes to cost hospitals Chicago Tribune, IL - Aug 7, 2008 ...If a hospital commits a serious error -- such as leaving a sponge in a patient's chest after open-heart surgery or causing a prolonged illness by mixing up a patient's medication -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois says it will no longer pay the claim... Lawsuit claims hospital lost part of man's skull The Galveston County Daily News, Galvesto, TX - Aug 7, 2008 ...“This is not a case for medical malpractice,” the lawsuit says. “This is instead a case alleging carelessness, gross negligence and a breach of a medical practitioner’s fiduciary duty to the patient.”... Attorney drops claims against doctor after government gets involved West Virginia Record, Charleston, WV - Aug 7, 2008 ...Although Siegal and Spurlock don't work for the government, Berthold discovered they qualify as federal employees for purposes of tort liability... Opinion - Dr. Neal J. Winzelberg: Benefits of colonoscopy far outweigh minimal risks Asbury Park Press, Neptune, NJ - Aug 7, 2008 ...Signing a consent does not in any way "voluntarily sign away one's rights," as the letter-writer indicated, and does not prevent a patient from suing a physician if they believe they were a victim of malpractice... Opinion - W. Gardner Selby: Watch for tort reform group this fall Austin American-Stateman, TX - Aug 7, 2008 ...In an era when the group seems to have won more changes in law than it's lost -- including leashes on lawsuits, caps on malpractice awards and a changed method of handling asbestos-related litigation -- Trabulsi said most legislators seem open to the cause, with only five of 31 state senators and 35 of 150 House members unlikely to give TLR a fair shake... Justice for sale Jackson Free Press, MS - Aug 6, 2008 ...“There is a war going on, and (the 2002 and 2004) state tort-reform laws were the end result of it; but I think it was more the confluence of the tobacco settlement and the judgments against Big Pharma over drugs that killed a lot of people that really started it... Medical malpractice news
Doctors' insurance rates will not go up in Illinois; fewer malpractice claims credited Belleville News-Democrat, IL - Aug 6, 2008 ...For the second year in a row, Illinois' largest insurer of physicians has announced its base premium rates will not go up -- the result, many say, of the state's stabilized legal environment brought by a medical malpractice law in 2005 that capped awards for "pain and suffering."... Closure of hospital's obstetrics unit is criticized The New York Sun, NY - Aug 6, 2008 ...Hospital officials said the obstetrics department accounts for 33%, or $11 million, of the hospital's annual losses and racks up $8.8 million each year in medical malpractice costs, an amount that represents 40% of the hospital's total malpractice costs.... Opinion - Ron Mack: A senior moment The Cherokee Scout, Murphy, NC - Aug 6, 2008 ...Malpractice insurance costs, but according to research by the Congressional Budget Office, lowering health care malpractice premiums by as much as 30 percent would result in a health care system saving of only 1/2 percent... Do you need a prostate cancer screening? Forbes, New York, NY - Aug 5, 2008 ...The other medical and legal ramification is that suddenly a healthy fellow [age] 77 who gets screened is found to have prostate cancer, has a procedure, has a complication and suddenly you've got a malpractice [suit] saying he shouldn't have been screened... Medical malpractice news
Malpractice law evolved via orthopedics Orthopedics Today 2008, Thorofare, NJ - Aug. 5, 2008 ...In summary, the historical evolution of medical malpractice law is derived from cases alleging medical malpractice, where the outcome of an orthopedic intervention was suboptimal... Opinion - Dr. Scott D. Hayworth: Crisis is here for ob-gyn doctors - and patients The Journal News, White Plains, NY - Aug. 5, 2008 ...Several months ago, former Gov. Eliot Spitzer formed the Medical Malpractice Liability Task Force to find a solution to New York's medical liability problem. To date, nothing has been done in Albany to address this matter... Medical malpractice news
Delaware enacts insurance laws on weather claims, firefighters, teens Insurance Journal, CA - Aug 4, 2008 ...A number of retired doctors had offered to perform surgeries at the VA hospital, but were being hampered from doing so by a provision in their former medical malpractice insurance policies. S.B. 269, signed into law Friday in Wilmington, allows retired doctors to work at the VA hospital... Doctors talk shop on medical blogs Los Angeles Times, CA - Aug 4, 2008 ...a physician blogger who anonymously posted on his practice, including damning details of a malpractice suit against him. In the course of the case, the plaintiff's attorney -- recognizing the doctor by the details in his posts -- confirmed he was the author and used his own words against him... Appeal of cap on $5M verdict expected Maryland Daily Record, Baltimore, MD - Aug 3, 2008 ...The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on the constitutionality of statutory caps on non-economic damages. The justices have ruled, in the 2003 case State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell, that the constitutional requirement of due legal process generally limits punitive damages to no more than nine times economic damages. Medical malpractice news
Mellow will not recuse himself from legislative votes involving Blue Cross The Citizens Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA - Aug 1, 2008 ...The senator was a vocal proponent of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and a state-issued medical malpractice insurance abatement for doctors. Mellow said he accepted the Wilkes-Barre based insurer’s board seat because he wants to help the nonprofit make the local health care delivery system more efficient... Editorial: A baby-free New York New York Post, NY - Aug 1, 2008 ...Malpractice-insurance premiums have gone through the roof - thanks in large measure to state laws (and judges) that favor plaintiffs (and their lawyers)... APCapital earnings slide during second quarter Lansing State Journal, MI - Aug 1, 2008 American Physicians Capital Inc.'s second- quarter profit dropped nearly 32 percent. The medical malpractice insurer reported Thursday... Doctor insurer seeks rate cut The Baltimore Sun, MD - Aug 1, 2008 ...The reduction proposed by the Medical Mutual Liability Insurance Society of Maryland comes on top of an 8 percent rate cut the insurer agreed to in December... Opinion - Brobson Lutz, MD: Verdict please New Orleans Magazine, Metairie, LA - Aug 1, 2008 ...The plaintiff and defense expenses of the trial and the process leading up to it cost over $100,000. Because of the number and cost of such suits in Louisiana, the malpractice insurance company I had at the time stopped insuring physicians in Louisiana... Judge: plaintiff engaged in 'consistent deception' Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, MA - Jul 31, 2008 ...the Berkshire Superior Court concluded that the plaintiff in a medical-malpractice claim against a Pittsfield physician and Berkshire Medical Center had “engaged in a willful and egregious pattern of concerted and consistent deception” in asserting claims that were “wholly insubstantial, frivolous and not advanced in good faith.” ... Opinion - William Gruss: Doctors getting raw deal South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Jul 31, 2008 ...A malpractice attorney can refuse to take a case because the doctor does not carry insurance. An emergency doctor cannot refuse to see a patient because of inability to pay... |
 |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
