Medical malpractice lawsuits enable patients, and their families, who have been suffered significant, permanent injuries or death as a result of preventable medical errors, to receive compensation. In 2008, more than 80 percent of malpractice payments went to victims who sustained quadriplegia, brain damage or death. Passen & Powell’s top-rated Chicago medical malpractice lawyers are… Read More
Tort Reform: A Failed Experiment
Tort reform proposals are the spectre that haunts the legal industry: like a horror-movie monster, if we relax our guard it is certain to rise again. Whether the context is debate on newly-enacted healthcare legislation, concerns about the trial bar’s influence in politics, or even lectures on the moral decay of society, it seems that… Read More
Health Care Reform a Victory for Patient Rights
This month, our Chicago brain injury lawyers have been discussing various aspects of nontraumatic and traumatic brain injury in honor of national Brain Injury Awareness month. It is fitting that Congress has enacted its landmark health care reform law this month. Many individuals and families inflicted with catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injury or other… Read More
Tort Reform Properlty Remains Out of Health Care Bills
As President Obama and fellow democrats went back to the drawing board once again concerning health care reform, conservatives representing the insurance lobby raised calls for tort reform. Fortunately for the hundreds of thousands of Americans seriously injured or killed each year by preventable medical errors, our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys are pleased to report… Read More
Illinois Supreme Court Strikes Down Damage Caps in Medical Malpractice Cases as Unconstitutional
Today, the Illinois Supreme Court held that legislative caps on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases violate the separation of powers clause of the Illinois Constitution. This landmark decision, Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, No. 105741 (Ill. Feb. 4, 2010), comes as a huge relief to Chicago medical malpractice lawyers who represent the interests of… Read More
IL Supreme Court Set To Rule on Constitutionality of Damage Caps
Tomorrow, the Illinois Supreme Court is expected to issue its opinion in Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, a case challenging the constitutionality of damage caps in medical malpractice lawsuits pursuant to the Illinois Medical Malpractice Act of 2005. Chicago medical malpractice attorneys and both sides of the bar are highly anticipating this opinion. As noted… Read More
Tort Reform is a ‘Distraction’ in Health Care Debate
As Congress continues to grapple with health care reform, many conservatives and lobbyists for the insurance industry have called for tort reform as a way to reduce the costs of healthcare. However, nearly every independent health economist and legal expert who has studied the issue have found that tort reform would have virtually no impact… Read More
Illinois Supreme Court to Rule on Medical Malpractice Damage Caps
This Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court will release its highly-anticipated opinion in Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, a case arising out of the constitutionality of caps on “non-economic” or “non-liquidated” damages in medical malpractice actions. Top Illinois medical malpractice lawyers, who represent individuals and families of those who were permanently injured or killed by preventable… Read More
Medical Malpractice Myths: Tort Reform Will Lower Insurance Rates (Part V)
Today is our Chicago injury and malpractice attorneys final installment of our commentary on “Five Myths of Medical Malpractice,” based on a report recently published by the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Medical Negligence Myth #5: Tort Reform Will Lower Insurance Rates Yesterday’s post, Myth #4 – Medical Malpractice Claims Drive-Up Doctors’ Insurance Premiums, discussed… Read More
Medical Malpractice Myths: Drive-Up Doctors’ Insurance Premiums (Part IV)
Day four of our personal injury lawyers‘ discussion of “Five Myths of Medical Malpractice.” Here’s Myth #4: Medical Malpractice Myth #4: Medical Malpractice Claims Drive Up Doctors’ Premiums This myth continues to be spread by the health insurance lobby, despite being continuously debunked by empirical evidence. The argument works as follows: to protect against large… Read More