TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A bill that would overhaul medical malpractice suits in Florida will be revisited by a House subcommittee.
The Health Care Appropriations subcommittee reconsiders the bill (HB 479) on Tuesday even though its members approved it by a vote of 11-3 last week.
The bill increases the burden of proof for plaintiffs to win medical malpractice cases. It largely makes hospitals blameless for the errors of their doctors. And it provides for punishment of doctors who offer expert testimony found to be false or misleading.
The last significant reform was in 2004. Florida voters approved three related initiatives. One created a patients' bill of rights. The others limited attorneys' fees and banned doctors with three malpractice judgments from practicing in the state.
Associated Press