Florida Tosses Out Medical Malpractice Cap for Wrongful Death Claims
Posted on Mar 17, 2014 5:09pm PDT
Since 2003, Florida has held to a law that makes it so that surviving family members of wrongful death victims in hospitals could not receive high medical malpractice payouts. Instead, the caps limited all pain and suffering damages from a medical malpractice case to $500,000 or $1 million depending on the circumstances of the case. Those who were eligible for $1 million must prove that there are extra people involved in the lawsuit.
According to the Justice R. Fred Lewis, the Florida medical malpractice have helped many save a modest amount in order to impose a devastating cost on a few. The Justice on the case concluded that Florida’s current caps put unnecessary hardship on those who were most grievously injured and who sustain the greatest damage and loss.
The justice’s decision regarding the unfairness of the cap will effectively remove this limit, allowing those who suffer grievous wrongful death claims to seek compensation without limits. There are about 700 cases that are pending in Florida courts at present, and all will be evaluated under the new laws. Claims that have already been resolved will not be retried, according to reports.
Trial attorneys say that the Florida malpractice caps were difficult to work with, and removing them is a monumental decision. In many cases, courts have agreed that the surviving family members of individuals who died due to medical malpractice should receive millions of dollars in compensation. Yet due to the caps, their payouts would be restricted to the maximum that they could receive in their situation.
Now, those concerns will be put away as more and more individuals seek the high settlements that they deserve in their medical malpractice cases. Prior to seeking compensation in a medical malpractice case, you should always make sure to take note of the caps in your state. If those caps are unconstitutional, a medical malpractice lawyer may be willing to assist you in challenging the caps.
Hire a skilled, local medical malpractice attorney to help you with your case. This directory can help you to find a skilled lawyer near you and seek assistance! Call today to learn more!