FLORIDA MALPRACTICE
December 1st, 2002
BY PHILIP FINE
A TASK-FORCE established in the US state of Florida is discussing the possibility of placing a limit on the money paid out in malpractice lawsuits because of concerns that the resulting awards are bleeding the local health insurance industry.
The state's malpractice awards have been rising each year. Insurance companies paid out US$326 million (GBPounds207 million) in malpractice lawsuits in 2001, up from US$244.9 million in 1989. That situation has led to higher liability rates for the entire healthcare profession.
Some physicians can no longer ...
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