Cap won't apply in "gross negligence" cases
The North Carolina legislature recently overrode the governor's veto of a law that put a $500,000 cap on pain and suffering and other "non-economic" damages in medical malpractice lawsuits.
The cap can be exceeded in cases of severe injury — if a doctor was grossly negligent.
Did pads cause what they should have prevented?
A family has sued a manufacturer of alcohol prep pads, claiming that pads tainted with bacteria were used during the birth of their twins, one of whom developed a rare Bacillus cereus infection that damaged portions of the child's brain.
The suit says that as a consequence the boy is unable to walk or speak, must eat through a stomach tube, and has other mental and physical problems.
Aid for victims of medical error restored
The state of Wisconsin has reached an agreement with the Wisconsin Medical Society to repay $200 million taken from a fund that was intended to help pay malpractice claims.
The governor and legislators had drawn on the fund for other budget purposes, but the state Supreme Court ruled that the cash grab was unconstitiutional. The state will have to make the reimbursement, plus $34 million in interest, by October.