Medical Malpractice

• Malpractice Laws Face Changes and Debate

  John Rice | February 20, 2007 11:11 AM | 3 CommentsChattanooga, TN

  As state lawmakers decide whether to pass medical malpractice caps as a means of tort "reform," the Knox News Business Journal offers a debate between a doctor and an attorney who argue both sides of the issue. Lawyer Sid Gilreath argues for defensive medicine, and I must say that I agree:I want my doctor to use defensive medicine. I want them to use anything available to make sure they are on...

• Gastric Bypass Lawsuit

  John Rice | March 27, 2007 1:20 PM | 0 CommentsChattanooga, TN

  Houston Community Hospital of Texas and one of its surgeons face a medical malpractice lawsuit for the death of a gastric bypass patient. The patient's mother claims the hospital failed to appropriately warn her daughter of the risks involved in the gastric bypass surgery. The same surgeon has been named in another lawsuit.

• Medical Data Missing

  John Rice | March 22, 2007 1:04 PM | 0 CommentsChattanooga, TN

  Wellpoint has begun informing 75,000 Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield members that a CD holding their personal data is missing. The CD was lost after being sent to a behavioral services company in Connecticut. An Empire spokeswoman said the data was not encrypted.

• Trial lawyers, Physicians and Hospitals

  John Rice | March 13, 2007 11:57 AM | 0 CommentsChattanooga, TN

  The annual battle between trial lawyers on one side and physicians, hospitals and insurance companies on the other is now under way. Lawyers say it's about medical malpractice. Health-care professionals say it's tort reform. (A tort is a wrong inflicted on someone). Doctors claim greedy trial lawyers and their clients are flooding the courts with frivolous litigation, sending insurance premiums...

• Judiciary Committee Postpones Medical Malpractice Debate

  John Rice | March 08, 2007 12:54 PM | 0 CommentsChattanooga, TN

  On a day that began with reports of a compromise on medical malpractice legislation, the Senate sponsor of SB2001, Mark Norris, R-Collierville, was granted leave to defer consideration of the bill for another week. Early this morning, the Nashville Post.com reported that compromise legislation was in the works. Sources involved in the negotiations confirmed that an agreement had been reached on...

• Medical Malpractice Deal Within Reach on Capitol Hill

  John Rice | March 07, 2007 12:47 PM | 0 CommentsChattanooga, TN

  Significant changes in Tennessee laws regarding medical malpractice lawsuits may be imminent. An agreement has been reached in principle by leaders of the state's legal and medical communities that proponents believe would lower the number of medical malpractice lawsuits filed in Tennessee and still protect the interests and rights of all parties.What is not in the agreement is a cap on the...

• Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Dismissed in WI

  John Rice | January 23, 2007 12:14 PM | 0 CommentsChattanooga, TN

  A Wisconsin judge ruled last week that the statute of limitations had run out on a family who filed a medical malpractice lawsuit. Doctors left a sponge inside Robert Genrich during a July 2003 surgery. The sponge was removed in a second surgery, but Genrich died three days later. At issue was whether the date of "injury" was defined as the day the sponge was removed in a second surgery or when...

• COPIC to Return $10M to Physicians

  Christina Cole | December 22, 2006 3:26 AM | 0 CommentsChattanooga, TN

  On Wednesday, the state's largest medical malpractice insurer said it will return $10 million to the Colorado doctors that it covers. COPIC Insurance Co. covers over than 80% of privately insured Colorado Doctors. The distribution follows a September announcement that there will not be an overall rate increase for doctors during 2007. "One of the promises we make to our insured physicians is...