Side Note: This article from the Associated Press describes one New York judge’s unique approach to the problems of the U.S. malpractice system.  Judge McKeon call his approach “judge-directed negotiations”, and focuses on humanizing malpractice cases and patiently working with all parties to reach a fair resolution.  The New York City court system has received a grant of […]

Thirty-six states have laws on the books which allow physicians and healthcare workers to apologize to patients or their family members in the event of an adverse medical outcome, without it being admissible in court. Kentucky State Senator Ralph Alvarado, MD, who represents the 28th District, wants his state to be number 37. Join us […]

In June, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jose Rodriguez denied a defense motion to reduce a jury verdict for noneconomic damages from $500,000 to $350,000 because the defense offered to arbitrate the claim, further chipping away at Florida’s tort reform laws that cap noneconomic damages in medical professional liability actions. In 2014, the Florida Supreme Court […]

The Oregon Supreme Court last month invalidated statutory limits on noneconomic damages for personal injury claims. The high court ruled that the cap enacted by the legislature in 1987 violates the legal remedy clause of the Oregon Constitution. The decision affirmed an appeals court’s reversal of a trial court ruling on an award for a […]

Dr. Randall Floyd called me in a bit of a panic. An addiction medicine specialist in Anchorage, Alaska, he had put off securing a replacement medical malpractice insurance policy for almost a month past the expiration of his previous policy. The medical group he was employed with had changed their corporate structure where they were […]

Dr. Samuel Smith, a psychiatrist in California, contacted me on a recent Monday in a bit of a rush. He was joining a new medical group the following week and they were trying to add him to their group’s medical malpractice insurance policy with their standard carrier. However, the medical malpractice carrier denied him coverage […]

The U.S. medical professional liability (MPL) insurance segment experienced a notable deterioration in underwriting results in 2019. The already dim prospects for the segment’s profitability have been clouded by COVID-19, with uncertainties regarding impacts to loss costs as well as premium refunds and the ability to put planned rate increases into effect, according to a […]

Medical malpractice insurer Curi recently announced that Jason Sandner will take over as its next chief executive officer on July 1, 2021, when current CEO Dale Jenkins steps down after more than 25 years of service to the company. Sandner is currently the company’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. Jenkins will continue to […]

What do you find the most frustrating part of patients who are no-shows? Is it the lost revenue? The waste of your and your staff’s time? Is it the worry about potential medical malpractice liability? Physicians Practice recently had a good article on the topic of patient no-shows. While no-show volume varies practice to practice, […]