DAVE PARKS News staff writer http://www.al.com Dr. Drake Lavender wears many stethoscopes as a family physician practicing medicine in rural Alabama. He sees 15 to 20 patients a day at the Pickens County Family Practice Center in Gordo, then heads over to the Pickens County Medical Center in Carrollton, where he makes rounds, helps staff […]

By Daniel Connolly http://www.commercialappeal.com Legislation to limit medical malpractice lawsuits will likely be introduced in the Tennessee legislature again this year, but just as previous efforts have failed, some lawmakers predict there will be strong opposition again. Any change to laws related to medical mistakes could affect thousands of doctors, attorneys and patients. Malpractice reform […]

By Carl Hamilton http://www.cecilwhig.com A doctor shortage continues to hamper Cecil County, two years after the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation to reduce the soaring cost of medical malpractice insurance. “We’re still way down,â€? said Dr. Jose Ma, vice president of medical affairs at Union Hospital in Elkton. Doctors specializing in obstetrics, which typically includes […]

By Eric T. Berkman http://www.masslaw.com A neurologist could bring a malicious prosecution suit against an insurer who had unsuccessfully sued him for medical malpractice, the Supreme Judicial Court has ruled. A Superior Court judge had dismissed the plaintiff physician’s suit, finding that the defendant insurer had probable cause to sue him based on statements from […]

By Laura Ungar lungar@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal Wearing a red robe and sneakers, Charlina Shaddock sat back in her living room recliner as Dr. J. Michael Benfield checked her blood pressure and heart rate. She had just survived a bout with pneumonia that landed her in the hospital, then a nursing home. “I got to feeling […]

http://www.muarateweh.com Introduction The problems with America’s patchwork health care system are fast reaching a critical mass. Soaring costs, rising faster than inflation, are eroding workers’ coverage and paychecks. Sixteen percent of Americans have no coverage at all, a problem that has become worse in the last five years. And medical studies reveal an alarming extent […]

— For many patients on treatment waiting limits nationwide, higher prescribing limit expands access to FDA-approved, in-office medical treatment — RICHMOND, Va., /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — President Bush has signed into law an amendment to the Controlled Substances Act that will increase the availability of buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence/addiction. The new law raises from […]

BY VALERIE MILLER http://www.lvbusinesspress.com Las Vegans who feel they’ve been victims of medical malpractice may have a tough time finding an experienced lawyer. Veteran plaintiffs’ attorneys are leaving the field or dramatically limiting the cases they take, in the wake of tort reform and dwindling jury awards. Big-name plaintiffs’ firms, such as Crockett & Myers, […]

http://www.suntimes.com In Illinois’ intense debate over the cost of medical malpractice, insurance companies and trial lawyers are often bitter enemies. Kim Presbrey is determined to change that.A former president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Presbrey has started an insurance company promising doctors more choice and better deals on expensive malpractice coverage. The Aurora attorney […]