Physicians are resorting the desperate measures in the fight against malpractice premiums:
If you want to see Ridgewood gynecologist Ruth J. Schulze, you’ll have to sign a contract promising never to sue her for malpractice.
The veteran physician and a dozen other gynecologists in New Jersey require the contracts as a condition of treatment.
Schulze sees it as the only way to control the rising malpractice premiums that have put some of her brethren out of business. But patient advocates and legal experts are troubled by the idea of asking patients to sacrifice their legal rights — and they worry that the practice could spread.
By signing the contract, patients forfeit their right to a jury trial and agree to limits on pain and suffering awards and punitive damages. The contract blames patient lawsuits for “ever-escalating” malpractice insurance rates.
(via Tim Dawes at Interplay)
