http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/02\/09\/health\/09malpractice.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper<\/a><\/p>\r\nThe New York Times Wednesday did a story about Rep. Phil Gingrey of\u00a0Georgia, a retired\u00a0obstetrician, who has\u00a0introducd\u00a0a number of versions of a malpractice reform bill.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
As it turns out, according to The Times,\u00a0Gingrey was one of \u00a0several doctors named in a lawsuit filed by a pregnant\u00a0woman. The suit alleged that\u00a0\u00a0Gingrey and two fellow\u00a0doctors failed to\u00a0realise that the woman had appendicitis. When her appendix burst the woman not only lost her fetus but also suffered a stroke.<\/p>\r\n
The malpractice suit, which had been reinstated after\u00a0being dismissed at a trial.\u00a0was settled in 2007.<\/p>\r\n
Gingrey’s office gave The Times a prepared statement about\u00a0the settlement, saying that\u00a0the parties in the case agreed to settle because they want to deal with the cost, time, commitment and stress of a second trial. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
The bill that Gingrey is backing would collar damages for pain and suffering in malpractice cases at $250,000.\u00a0It would also limit the\u00a0fees that attorneys could collect for handling a patient’s case and it would offer alternatives\u00a0to litigation to resolve malpractice suits.<\/p>\r\n
In his statement Gingrey defended the malpractice legislation, saying that it will stop third-parties, such as attorneys,\u00a0\u00a0from from collecting big fees at the expense of patients who are suing.<\/p>\r\n
It seems to me that capping malpractice awards and attorneys’ fee will discourage\u00a0talented lawyers from representing patients in such\u00a0 cases. And then it follows that these patients won’t be getting the benefit of the best counsel around .<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Is it a potential conflict of interest for a lawmaker, a retired doctor,\u00a0to push for legislation\u00a0limiting malpractice awards when he himself\u00a0was involved in the settlement of such a case for\u00a0$500,000?\u00a0Maybe not technically, but it doesn’t seem quite kosher. http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/02\/09\/health\/09malpractice.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper The New York Times Wednesday did a story about Rep. Phil Gingrey of\u00a0Georgia, a retired\u00a0obstetrician, who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4,5],"class_list":["post-716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-medical-malpractice","tag-medical-malpractice-attorney"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t