The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts reported Tuesday, June 4, 2013, that Pennsylvania medical-malpractice case filings fell 10 percent last year to 1,508, from 1,675 in 2011, In Philadelphia, the state’s largest jurisdiction for malpractice suits, the number of cases was 389, the second-lowest number in a decade.
In 2002, the state legislature passed a law aimed at limiting the number of malpractice suits and reducing medical errors. The state Supreme Court in 2003 ordered that malpractice suits be filed in the county where the alleged injury happened, and that patients get a “certificate of merit” from a doctor.
Scott Cooper, president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, a trial lawyers’ group, and Schmidt Kramer partner said to the Philadelphia Inquirer that the statewide decline from an average of 2,733 cases from 2000 through 2003 showed that more drastic measures, such as capping damages, were not needed.
“There are ways to resolve a problem without taking away people’s rights,” Cooper said.
Read more about the recent filings and numbers at the AOPC website at the link below:
When your loved one is in need of a Pennsylvania nursing home or hospital you need to do your homework. You can see citations the home you are considering has received in the past, on the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website. You can find a link to the site on Schmidt Kramer’s website.
If you believe that you or a loved one have been injured by sub-standard care at a Central Pa nursing home or hospital call a Pennsylvania nursing home lawyer at Schmidt Kramer. Call us at (717) 888-8888 if you are local to Harrisburg, or call us toll-free at 1-888-476-0807.
You may also want to download one of the free publications we offer on our website.