Arizona: State Court Overturns Law on Expert Witnesses

An Arizona appellate court ruling says a state law on medical malpractice lawsuits is unconstitutional. At issue is a law that sets qualifications required for expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases. A three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals says the law is unconstitutional because it violates the doctrine of separation between the branches of government. The ruling Tuesday came in a Maricopa County case in which a trial judge dismissed a malpractice suit after ruling that a doctor that the plaintiff wanted to use as an expert witness was not qualified under the state law.

Please click on the link below to read the Arizona Daily Star article:

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/244148.php

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.

Texas Medical Board Holds Town-Hall Meetings in Reponse to Malpractice Complaints

More patients across the state are filing complaints against doctors than in years past, and doctors are starting to feel unfairly targeted, officials and physicians said during meetings with the Texas Medical Board this week. “Doctors have said that their perception of the medical board has changed dramatically … now, they’re afraid to get letters from the board,” said Dr. Maria Dill, medical director of the South Texas Health Care System, a state-funded clinic in Harlingen. “And the only newsletter we get from the board lists doctors’ mistakes.” The medical board, which licenses doctors and regulates medical practice in Texas, is holding a series of town-hall meetings and licensing seminars in Texas throughout June and July. Board representatives were in Brownsville to meet with doctors and the public. “It’s the first time we’re doing this across the state,” said Dr. Manuel Guajardo, a Brownsville obstetrician-gynecologist and board member. “We’re here for your concerns and questions.” After the Texas Legislature gave the board additional funds for enforcement in 2005, as well as handing down a mandate to better police the medical profession, the board has stepped up its investigations. By the end of fiscal year 2007, the board was investigating 1,300 cases and had opened about 2,600 more, compared to 694 investigations and 1,900 open cases in 2004, according to TMB’s Web site.

Please click on the link below to read the Brownsville Herald article:

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/doctors_87579___article.html/meetings_texas.html

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.