March 8, 2005
60-40 AND COUNTING:
Legislators propose malpractice award limits (Conrad Defiebre, March 9, 2005, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Republican legislators launched a wide-ranging assault today on unlimited medical malpractice claims in Minnesota, calling for caps on lawsuit awards similar to those in 30 other states.
Democrats in Washington keep fighting these things that supermajorities of the states already have and then wondering why they lose national elections and congressional seats at such a regular clip. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 8, 2005 5:07 PM
Excessive malpractice awards make the practice of medicine virtually impossible in rural areas, there simply aren't enough patients available to compensate for one big hit. Of course, the best way is to deny a jury trial for this and instead have mandatory arbitration. It would give us faster and more accurate results. But since the ATLA crowd would be rendered redundant for the most part, that won't happen.
Posted by: Bart at March 8, 2005 8:03 PMIn a high-tech medical state like Minnesota which draws patients from around the world, that is good news.
Despite the urban concentrations of specialists, there remain many rural hospitals needing ER, obstetrics, and surgical specialists who are fleeing to less oppressive tort law regimes in other states.
Posted by: John J. Coupal at March 9, 2005 1:57 AM