Side note: Medical malpractice reform law in the state of West Virginia is being tested in a closely watched case. A man who was treated in the City Hospital in the Eastern Panhandle claims that the drugs he was prescribed interacted with the medication that he was already taking to cause a condition called rhabdomyolysis, […]

side note: The unpopular reversal of the Illinois medical malpractice reform law has become a hot topic in the upcoming, Nov. 2, Supreme Court retention elections. The Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch has parked a billboard truck in front Kankakee County Courthouse proclaiming the slogan “Good Judges Matter.” This display of dissatisfaction about the courts recent […]

side note: This is unfortunately all too common among doctors in our country. I’d say most, if not all people who want to end up in medicine get in for the right reasons: they want to help people. We live in a world however that is filled with lawsuits and lawyers….that will for the most […]

Side Note: this article reports on a new study that examined the merit of apologizing for errors in medicine.  Its finding were consistent with previous research – admitting fault for a medical mistake, apologizing, and offering a fair settlement can help reduce legal costs and cut down on claims.  Good communication with patients is an […]

side note: This doesn’t pass the sniff test. The Louisiana state legislature recently passed a law that forbids access to the state’s excess liability medical malpractice insurance fund to doctors that perform abortions. Of course, those doctors still must pay into the fund, but cannot access it because those doctors choose to perform a specific, […]

Side Note: this article from New Jersey publication NJ Spotlight discusses recent intensified calls by advocate groups for reform to the state medical malpractice system.  Groups representing interests in medicine, law, business, and nursing have ramped up their efforts in support of tort reform legislation as a response to the growing shortage of physicians in […]

side note: Once again a state faces a critical choice in keeping high-risk specialties within it’s borders. Nevada faces a crucial test over the law that limits non-economic damages in medical malpractice suits to $350,000. Most physicians, and Cunningham Group, argue that this has allowed physicians from most specialties to remain in the state b/c […]

side note: The U.S. Index of Health Ownership, published by PRI, will not be updated in full for 2010, but there is a 2010 U.S. Tort Liability Index. The Tort Index includes 42 variables divided into inputs and outputs. The top states in inputs are Oklahoma, Texas, and Ohio. Top in outputs are Alaska, Hawaii, […]

Side note: A new study could shed light on the role of paid expert witnesses in medical malpractice lawsuits. The study tested a group of 31 radiologists to see if they came to the same conclusion on a CT scan as four paid expert witnesses. Not one of the 31 doctors were able to see […]