Nevada Court Addresses Medical Malpractice Backlog

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 conduct settlement conferences on malpractice cases currently pending in Clark County District Court.

Plans call for 18 or more conferences each week.

Chief Justice James Hardesty told state legislators in March that the state’s got more than 400 medical malpractice pending.

Gang says that doesn’t count about 430 cases relating to a hepatitis C outbreak at endoscopy clinics in Las Vegas.

Justice Michael Cherry says the senior judges will focus on the 216 oldest cases. He says more than half were filed more than two years ago.