Posted on 08/21/2006 3:00:37 PM PDT by sinkspur
Pollard Rogers figures that for years, the Cantey & Hanger law firm in Fort Worth has had one of the largest medical malpractice defense practices in North Texas.
And it probably still does. But it's nowhere near as big as it was before the state changed the tort system three years ago, said Rogers, the firm's managing partner.
The Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform Act of 2003 put caps on noneconomic (pain and suffering) damages that could be awarded and raised the standard of proof necessary to win a malpractice case against an emergency healthcare provider. There is no cap on economic damages for lost income and medical expenses.
"Clearly the legislation has had the result intended. The number of filings in medical malpractice is down significantly," said Rogers, who's also seen the effect from his position as a board member of Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth. "I would say the number of lawyers [at Cantey & Hanger] doing medical malpractice defense has been reduced by two-thirds."
And it's not happening just at Cantey & Hanger, one of Tarrant County's largest law firms.
The number of medical malpractice suits filed in Tarrant County and other Texas metropolitan areas has plunged since Sept. 1, 2003, when the law went into effect. The measure also bolstered defenses in civil suits involving a personal injury, such cases of product liability or the release of hazardous materials, and those cases also are down, although not as sharply.
And that's leading to big changes in many legal firms.
Dallas law firm Gwinn & Roby in March closed its Fort Worth office, which had operated for about 12 years. Managing partner Rob Roby said there wasn't enough malpractice defense work.
(Excerpt) Read more at dfw.com ...
Along with the six extra GOP seats due to redistricting, and the property tax cut, Perry delivers on his promises.
How much is this tort reform bill worth to the average Texan, especially to those who need the ready availability of obstetricians?
Anybody who says that there is no difference between the Dems and the Pubbies doesn't know what he is talking about.
The democrats worst nightmare, since the tort lawyers are one of their biggest donor groups.
I shall be really bummed out for about ummmmmmmmm.... six seconds?
Those stats at the end look good:
The number of medical malpractice lawsuits filed in Dallas and Tarrant (Ft Worth) counties jumped before Texas tort reform was enacted in 2003. But the number of cases filed here and across the state have declined to only a fraction since.
2001 Tarrant: 158 Dallas: 487
2002 Tarrant: 166 Dallas: 536
2003 Tarrant: 337 Dallas: 1,108
2004: Tarrant: 55 Dallas: 142
2005: Tarrant: 60 Dallas: NA
2006 Tarrant: 38 Dallas NA
Ping
Perry is full of false promises. Tort reform yeah we are all for it. What we got was doctors pocketing the money instead of passing saving along. Property Tax Reform - yeah we are all for it. What we got was teacher pay raises and no tax reduction to speak of. Perry will win re election only because he is the lesser of 2 evils.
Tort reform yeah we are all for it. What we got was doctors pocketing the money instead of passing saving along.
Property Tax Reform - yeah we are all for it. What we got was teacher pay raises and no tax reduction to speak of.
Perry will win re election only because he is the lesser of 2 evils.
Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.
Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?
A: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.
LOL! The purpose of tort reform was to keep doctors from fleeing Texas, as many obstetricians were threatening to do.
At no time did anybody say you were going to get rebates from your physician.
Property Tax Reform - yeah we are all for it. What we got was teacher pay raises and no tax reduction to speak of.
What you got was a reduction in the tax rate from $1.50 per thousand dollars valuation to $1.00 per thousand. You did get teacher pay raises (something favored by the vast majority of Texas voters), and a fairer distribution of the business tax.
Perry will win because he deserves to win and because his opponents are clueless dolts.
ping
If your hemorrhoids start acting up, at least there'll be a doctor there to laser 'em out for you.
Tort reform did not reduce malpractice in Texas only reduced the lawsuits. It's a one sided tort reform with flaws that did not improve health care in Texas. Do you realize that Texas is a magnet for "bad" doctors from other states.
What you got was a reduction in the tax rate
The rate but how about when I write the check, we shall see when the statement come in.
Name two and detail what they did and where they came from.
That is my point we will never know the details because the insurance company will settle for 250,000 before trial. A doctor with numerous malpractice cases will fold up shop and move to Texas. Seems to reason like you quoted Doctors will move out because of rates.
I figured you just made that up.
Texas is now a low insurance rate state.
Name them! I want facts not some hot air from Dallas we have enough of it in Houston. :)
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