Change to Conn. medical malpractice law in dispute
March 26, 2012Associated Press March 24, 2012 HARTFORD, Conn.— State lawmakers are moving ahead with legislation they say will fix a problem with Connecticut’s medical malpractice law that has kept some legitimate lawsuits out of the courts, despite heavy opposition from the medical industry.
The current law, enacted in 2005, forces people who want to sue health care providers to get an opinion from a similar provider supporting their malpractice allegations before they can file their lawsuits. If plaintiffs don’t submit such an opinion with their lawsuits, or the opinion doesn’t meet the requirements, judges can dismiss the cases before the merits are even heard. Read more
The current law, enacted in 2005, forces people who want to sue health care providers to get an opinion from a similar provider supporting their malpractice allegations before they can file their lawsuits. If plaintiffs don’t submit such an opinion with their lawsuits, or the opinion doesn’t meet the requirements, judges can dismiss the cases before the merits are even heard. Read more