Latest Medical Professional Liability Headlines

All the headlines from our Medical Professional Liability Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Oregon Raises Medical Malpractice Maximum

Apr 9 2009 // Oregon lawmakers have approved an increase the amounts recoverable in tort actions against public bodies in cases of medical malpractice and other negligence by public employees. Senate Bill 311 now awaits Gov. Ted...

Nevada Court Addresses Medical Malpractice Backlog

Apr 8 2009 // The Nevada Supreme Court is taking steps to resolve a backlog of medical malpractice lawsuits through a “settlement marathon” in May.Court spokesman Bill Gang says teams of two senior judges will be assigned to...

Democrats Agree Health Reform Must Include Medical Liability Changes

Mar 18 2009 // Medical malpractice overhauls have died many deaths in Congress over the years, often at the hands of Democratic lawmakers backed by trial lawyers. Attempts to change the system may be getting new life.As they search for...

New York City Spent $568 Million on Malpractice, Property, Other Claims

Mar 13 2009 // New York City spent almost $568 million to settle damage claims, and the biggest awards were attributed to city-owned hospitals and the police and transportation departments, the comptroller said Thursday.The latest dollar...

Virginia Court Voids Malpractice Policy Due to Material Misrepresentation

Mar 12 2009 // In an unusual case, a federal court in Virginia has found that a law firm’s malpractice policy can be voided because a partner failed to disclose to the firm’s insurance company that he had embezzled money from...

Hawaii Considers Tort Reform in Medical Malpractice

Mar 10 2009 // The amount of money that could be won in court for noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases would be limited under a proposal being advanced by Hawaii lawmakers. The limits would be set by a task force. The House...

Medical Device Makers Could Face Increased State Liability Claims

Mar 9 2009 // Following the recent Supreme Court decision that federal rules do not protect drugmakers from state lawsuits, Democrats in Congress have moved to overturn a decision that has shielded medical device companies from similar...

New Jersey Jury Awards $11 Million in Dental Malpractice Case

Mar 9 2009 // A jury in central New Jersey has awarded more than $11 million to the family of a man who died after having his wisdom teeth removed.Francis Keller of Woodbridge had a genetic condition that caused swelling as a reaction...

Bankruptcy Won’t Help West Virginia Doctor Avoid Malpractice Payments

Mar 9 2009 // A former West Virginia doctor will not be able to use his Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing in Birmingham to block payments in scores of malpractice cases after a federal bankruptcy judge ruled he was hiding assets.The order...

Hawaii Lawmakers Advance Cap on Medical Malpractice Awards

Mar 6 2009 // A bill to put caps on damages in medical malpractice cases is making its way through the Hawaii Legislature.The measure approved by the House Judiciary Committee is supported by doctors. The committee had rejected similar...

Okla. Bill Broadens Liability Immunity for Volunteer Medical Professionals

Mar 6 2009 // Legislation to make it easier for health care professionals to volunteer their time has been passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate.House Bill 1481, by state Rep. Sally Kern, would...

Texas Workers’ Comp Div. Issues $169K in Fines in Dec.and Jan.

Mar 5 2009 // Texas Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Rod Bordelon announced that disciplinary actions taken by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) in December 2008 and January...

Arkansas Court: New Hospital Liability Law Is Retroactive

Feb 17 2009 // Charitable hospitals with self-insurance plans can be sued for incidents that occurred before their pooled liability funds were established, the Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled.The decision comes as a blow to...

Massachusetts Doctors’ Group Wants to Rein in Liability Exposures

Feb 4 2009 // An advocacy group for Massachusetts doctors said it will offer a bill in the state legislature to eliminate the expanded liability of physicians which was created by two recent court decisions.The Massachusetts Medical...

Pennsylvania Hospitals, Docs Sue over Malpractice Fund

Jan 11 2009 // Pennsylvania hospitals and doctors are suing the state to obtain hundreds of millions in unspent dollars they say should be devoted to a state fund that helps doctors pay for medical malpractice insurance.Industry...

Texas Workers’ Comp Div. Assesses $285K in Fines June – Oct. 2008

Jan 9 2009 // The Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) from June through October 2008 assessed administrative penalties totaling $285,775 in disciplinary orders issued by Commissioner of...

Judge Upholds Legality of Transfer from Wisconsin Malpractice Insurance Fund

Dec 22 2008 // Gov. Jim Doyle and the Legislature legally used $200 million from Wisconsin’s medical malpractice fund to help balance the state budget, a judge has ruled.The decision, if it stands, spares the state from immediately...

Arizona Lawmaker to Offer Medical Malpractice Bill

Dec 16 2008 // An Arizona legislator is renewing a controversial proposal to make it harder to successfully sue emergency medical providers for alleged malpractice.Republican Sen. Carolyn Allen of Scottsdale says raising the burden of...

Medical Liability Insurer Proassurance Buys Houston’s Mid-Continent Agency

Dec 16 2008 // Birmingham ,Ala.-based ProAssurance Corp. said it will acquire Mid-Continent General Agency for an undisclosed price. Mid-Continent is a managing general agent, based in Houston, producing about $25 million a year in...

Pennsylvania Hospitals, Docs Sue over Malpractice Fund

Dec 15 2008 // Pennsylvania hospitals and doctors are suing the state to obtain hundreds of millions in unspent dollars they say should be devoted to a state fund that helps doctors pay for medical malpractice insurance.Industry...