|
Article Excerpt
Newly codified damages caps in Florida and Texas--which proponents touted as a solution to rising medical malpractice insurance rates--will have little or no immediate effect on premiums after all, according to regulatory agencies in those states.
Trial lawyers and others who opposed the caps--arguing that similar measures in other states had produced no rate reductions--said they are not surprised that lower premiums have not materialized, and they predict that rates will continue to rise or, at best, stabilize in the foresecable future.
Gov. Jeb Bush signed the Florida cap, which limits noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases to $500,000, in August. While state legislators debated the cap, its supporters argued that limiting malpractice damages would reduce costs to insurance companies that paid those damages and that the insurers could pass the savings on to doctors by lowering premiums. This, "reformers" argued, would ease the financial burden on doctors who had seen rates rise as much as 50 percent in recent years, forcing some to either drop coverage or quit practicing medicine.
On the basis of those claims, legislators included a provision requiring the state's...
|
|
More articles from Trial
Smothered by spam: more than half of all e-mail messages are now 'junk..., February 01, 2004
When Justice Prevails.(Book Review), February 01, 2004
In Ultimate Punishment: A Lawyer's Reflections on Dealing with the Dea..., February 01, 2004
Ninth Circuit lets crime victims sue gun makers., February 01, 2004
Use experts wisely to enliven a death case: your experts are individua..., February 01, 2004
Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication
name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company
analysis or best practices in managing your organization,
Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business
professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible,
authoritative information they need to support their business
goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting,
company research or defining management best practices -
Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.
|
|
