Latest Medical Professional Liability Headlines
All the headlines from our Medical Professional Liability Topic Page, ordered by recency.
High Court Backs Reno Hospital in Malpractice Case
Jul 9 2010 // The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that hospitals are not strictly liable for malpractice committed in emergency rooms by independent contracting physicians. In a 4-3 decision, the high court overturned Washoe County...
Health Records Firms Face Increasing Privacy Liability
Jul 9 2010 // U.S. companies that partner with hospitals and other health providers could face steep fines if they disclose private patient information under a new federal rule proposed Thursday. Billing companies, customer service...
Wash. Court Dumps Notice for Malpractice Lawsuits
Jul 8 2010 // The Washington state Supreme Court said it’s unconstitutional to require 90 days notice before suing a doctor, marking the second time in less than a year the court has rejected a legislative attempt to reform...
New York Approves Medical Malpractice Insurance Rate Hike
Jul 7 2010 // The average medical malpractice insurance rate increase for New York doctors this year will be five percent. The increase, which took effect July 1, follows two years of rates freezes. New York State Insurance...
Judge’s Approach to Curbing Malpractice Suits Gets $3 Million
Jun 22 2010 // To settle medical malpractice lawsuits, Judge Douglas McKeon sometimes quietly listens to heartbroken family members vent their anger. He calls it “humanness.” Curiosity about medical matters led the longtime...
Rush to Electronic Health Records Could Increase Liability Risk
Jun 22 2010 // Although the benefits of bringing information technology to health records can be substantial, electronic health records (EHR) systems also give rise to increased liability risks for health care providers due to possible...
Louisiana Legislature: No Malpractice Coverage for Elective Abortions
Jun 22 2010 // Doctors shouldn’t be covered under medical malpractice laws when they are providing elective abortions, the Louisiana Legislature has decided. The Senate gave final passage with a 31-2 vote to the bill by Rep. Robert...
Florida Approves MedMal Direct for Sale of Malpractice Insurance
Jun 22 2010 // Jacksonville-based MedMal Direct Insurance Co. has officially launched operations as a medical malpractice insurance company in Florida. The company, which sells insurance directly to physicians community without the use...
Worldwide Facilities Names Sawyer VP/Broker for Healthcare Practice
Jun 18 2010 // Worldwide Facilities Inc. in Phoenix has named Eric Sawyer a vice president and broker for the healthcare practice group. Sawyer brings more than 10 years of medical malpractice experience to the group. He will be working...
Texas Work Comp Enforcements Include Suspensions, Insurer Fines
Jun 16 2010 // Final disciplinary actions taken in March and April by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) include removal of providers from Designated Doctors list and insurance company...
Physhield Insurance Exchange Approved by the State of Maryland
Jun 14 2010 // Physicians Healthcare Management Group, Inc.’s exclusive affiliate, Physhield Insurance Exchange, a Risk Retention Group, has received approval from the state of Maryland Insurance Administration to underwrite...
Michigan Court: Wrong Address Not a Barrier to Filing Malpractice Lawsuit
May 27 2010 // The Michigan Supreme Court says the wrong address is not a reason to stop a woman from filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against her former eye doctor. The court’s 4-3 decision this week reinstated a lawsuit...
Ironhealth Introduces Specialty Liability Program for Physician Groups
May 24 2010 // IronHealth, the specialty healthcare division of Ironshore Inc., has introduced a Physician Group Practice liability product, offering coverage for groups of 10 or more physicians,including the entity and its ancillary...
California Nonprofit Execs Accused of Exposing Teens to Health Risks
May 24 2010 // Three executives of a now-defunct California nonprofit that provided job training for young people knowingly placed dozens of teenagers in jobs that exposed them to asbestos, prosecutors say. The nonprofit Firm Build sent...
Despite Premium Decreases, Medical Professional Liability Industry Profitable
May 14 2010 // The medical professional liability industry is profitable despite premium increases, according to Charlottesville, Va.-based SNL Financial. That industry experienced a profitable year in underwriting, demonstrated by a...
Florida Woman Awarded $36 Million Over Steroid Injection Malpractice
May 11 2010 // A Deerfield Beach, Florida woman who was left partially paralyzed after a botched steroid injection has won a $36 million malpractice verdict. A Palm Beach County jury ordered former pain management doctor Andrew Weiss to...
Network Physician Use Increases in California Workers’ Comp Claims
May 11 2010 // Tthe percentage of medical services to injured workers delivered by network physicians jumped sharply immediately after Medical Provider Networks (MPNs) were introduced into the workers’ compensation system in 2005,...
Jury Awards $500M Punitive Damages in Medical Malpractice Case
May 11 2010 // A jury in Las Vegas ordered two drug companies to pay a combined $500 million in punitive damages in the first of hundreds of civil cases stemming from a hepatitis C outbreak two years ago. The Clark County District Court...
Zurich Launches Z-Rx Insurance Solutions for the Healthcare Industry
May 7 2010 // Zurich has introduced Z-Rx Insurance Solutions, which offers 27 healthcare coverages, including professional liability, general liability, property, security & privacy, management liability products and more, such as:...
Zurich Enhances Healthcare Primary Policy for Medical Facilities
Apr 22 2010 // Zurich’s Specialty Products Healthcare practice has upgraded its Healthcare Primary policy to respond to a variety of risks that medical facilities face. “The daily interactions between medical facility...
