Post by AeDani on Apr 24, 2012 11:57:12 GMT 4
A proposed Senate bill in New Hampshire would permit hospitals the option of offering victims of medical errors a limited monetary settlement to avoid medical malpractice litigations and having to potentially pay out a much larger sum, according to a news release. Senate Bill 406 is currently awaiting action in the House of Concord and is reported to place a cap on the amount of the settlement that a patient, or their family, can receive at $117,500, in this “early-offer medical negligence legislation.”
The bill was written by a professor in Virginia and allegedly documented tangible income would be required to be considered for any participation in the settlement offer. Victims who have no viable income would be eliminated from the proposal. The victims would also have to give the hospitals details as to how the error occurred, however, the medical professionals would not be required to disclose any knowledge of the error and in the case of a disagreement, the final decision would be made by a state Insurance Department employee, whose department is directly and fully funded by insurance premiums. This “conflict of interest” raises concerns over the fairness of these judgements.
Medical Malpractice Law News Brought To You By www.HaskelLaw.com
The bill was written by a professor in Virginia and allegedly documented tangible income would be required to be considered for any participation in the settlement offer. Victims who have no viable income would be eliminated from the proposal. The victims would also have to give the hospitals details as to how the error occurred, however, the medical professionals would not be required to disclose any knowledge of the error and in the case of a disagreement, the final decision would be made by a state Insurance Department employee, whose department is directly and fully funded by insurance premiums. This “conflict of interest” raises concerns over the fairness of these judgements.
Medical Malpractice Law News Brought To You By www.HaskelLaw.com