Louisiana’s medical malpractice cap emerged unchanged from the last legislative session as lawmakers, faced with a number of proposals, could not find a compromise that satisfied all parties. One proposal with broad support sought to increase providers’ responsibility to the first $250,000 in damages and the Patient’s Compensation Fund’s liability to $500,000. However, the proposal failed to gain traction in the Legislature. Dr. Vincent Culotta, a Metairie OB/GYN who chairs the Louisiana State Medical Society’s council on legislation, said the malpractice cap will have to be addressed. “The question is ‘where is the right number?’” Culotta said. “The cap has to exist.” Louisiana is very much in a health care crisis, he said. Some people, including the Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Co. (LAMMICO), would like to enact the Texas malpractice model, which caps non-economic damages at $250,000. Texas implemented the cap in 2004. The cap has reduced malpractice lawsuits and helped increase the number of physicians.
Please click on the link below to read the Louisiana Medical News article:
http://acadiana.medicalnewsinc.com/news.php?viewStory=1143
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.
