Voters Tackle Tort Reform
Friday, October 1st, 2004 Legislation & Regulation LiabilityThe fate of tort reform in Florida, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming will be determined by voters on Nov. 2. Doctors are looking for a "yes" vote, which would support their call for caps on awards to help rein in soaring insurance rates that otherwise will drive many of them out of high-premium states and high-risk specialties, while lawyers want tighter controls on insurance companies. "Unlimited litigation harms consumers," said Peter Bisbecos, NAMIC‘s legal and regulatory affairs director. "This is true in many areas, but has come to a head in our healthcare system. It isn‘t just the bad doctors who are being sued. Every doctor in every area of practice can expect to be sued for malpractice, the only variance is frequency, and when the sky is the limit on damages, doctors are forced to settle. "Caps are needed to ensure that innocent doctors can defend themselves without betting the farm," continued Bisbecos.
