Medical Malpractice Attorney

Related Articles from Attorney for Medical Malpractice

Senate Agrees on Bill to Cut Civil-Court Damage Awards

After two weeks of contentious negotiations to fashion a measure intended to limit the number of civil lawsuits in the nation, the Senate today settled on a bill remarkably like the relatively narrow measure it took up when the process began. In a voice vote, the Senate approved an amendment that would limit the amount of punitive damages that juries may award, but only in cases involving faulty products, covering items as diverse as power drills and artificial respirators. The Senate is expected to pass the measure on Wednesday. If the Senate bill passes, it would mean that for the

House passes 3rd alternative to 2 malpractice initiatives

The state House passed a bill yesterday that would give voters a third alternative for reforming medical-malpractice laws. Already, there will be one initiative backed by lawyers and one initiative backed by doctors on the November ballot. House Democrats said yesterday that their plan represents the patients. "Let's end the finger-pointing, and let's focus on protecting the people of Washington," said Rep. Pat Lantz, D-Gig Harbor, who sponsored the bill. But others said the third ballot option will just confuse voters so much they'll vote against everything, leaving the state with the status quo. "It is a cynical effort

House Panel Votes Changes to Try to Keep Medicare Solvent

The House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation tonight to make sweeping changes in Medicare that would keep it solvent for a decade and offer new health insurance options to 33 million elderly Americans. The measure, which would cut Medicare spending by $115 billion and open the program to more health maintenance organizations and other forms of managed care, was approved by a vote of 36 to 3. The bipartisan, cordial spirit of today's session was radically different from the strident, angry tone that characterized debates on Medicare in 1995 and 1996, when Democrats accused Republicans of trying to destroy

G.O.P. Seeks to Expand Access to Health Care, With a Catch

House Republican leaders said today that they would soon take up a bill intended to expand access to health insurance for millions of Americans, but they intend to add provisions that are likely to generate bitter, prolonged disputes in Congress. The bill, similar to a bipartisan measure pending in the Senate, would guarantee insurance coverage for people moving from one employer-sponsored health plan to another. House Republicans said they wanted to add provisions dealing with medical malpractice, antitrust law, special savings accounts for medical expenses and tax deductions for the health insurance costs of people who are self-employed. Representative Dennis

House revives malpractice bill, sends it to Senate

Wading back into an issue that spawned a bitter, record-setting initiative campaign last year, House Democrats resurrected a medical malpractice bill Monday and sent it to the Senate for more work. The House first turned aside a flurry of Republican amendments, with promises from majority Democrats that the measure was not in its final form. "We need to get it over to the Senate," said Rep. Pat Lantz, D-Gig Harbor. "I'm not going to stand here and say for one moment that this is not a bill in progress." The measure originally was offered at the 2005 Legislature as an alternative to