US state to change law in bid to halt medical lawsuits

Now the state wants to introduce legislation that will bring about tort reform in a bid to keep physicians from either quitting high-risk specialties such as surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology or leaving the state and setting up their practice elsewhere, reports The Washington Times. Lawmakers nationwide have been trying to address tort reform. The Maryland General Assembly took up the issue last year, and President George W Bush has said he will tackle it during his second term. The Republican-controlled legislature in Virginia will consider capping pain and suffering awards at $250 000 and limiting attorney fees for medical malpractice cases. Full report in The Washington Times

The Bill has been approved by a powerful Senate committee, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, and is now up for a vote in the full Senate. If it passes, the Bill will be sent to the House, where several similar tort-reform measures are pending. Full report in The Washington Times