The success of tort reform

June 7, 2008

Quin Hillyer: “In West Virginia . . . after the state legislature put a $250,000 cap on pain and suffering damages, the Charleston Area Medical Center was able to add about 100 new doctors in three years. Before the reforms, the center could barely keep enough doctors, especially orthopedic surgeons, to remain staffed around the clock.

In Mississippi, the largest medical malpractice insurer cuts its rates for 2008 by 15.5 percent. Since 2004, when the state strengthened caps on pain and suffering damages, the rates have come down a whopping 45 percent.”



Related posts:

  1. Another tort reform success story
  2. Texas tort reform
  3. Tort reform: "It does not get any clearer"
  4. Tort reform in Texas: Working better than expected
  5. Mississippi: What happened after tort reform
  6. Texas tort reform a "national success story"
  7. How tort reform can stimulate the economy


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{ 6 comments }

1 Anonymous June 7, 2008 at 5:01 pm

Makes absolutely no difference to the utterly corrupt trial lawyer industry, who will absolutely deny the obvious success of these reform.

To paraphrase the (actual) title of Judge Judy’s book, they will “pee on your shoes and tell you its raining.”

2 Michael Rack, MD June 8, 2008 at 7:23 pm

Due to tort reform, malpractice insurance in MS is reasonably priced. Since I went into private practice in 2005, my malpractice rates have gone down every year. M

3 Anonymous June 9, 2008 at 10:38 am

But was there any actual less malpractice?

Silly me . . . obviously that doesn’t matter now does it?

4 Anonymous June 9, 2008 at 12:18 pm

Lawyer jackpots lowered.

And I KNOW that matters to you.

5 Anonymous June 10, 2008 at 9:32 am

Has patient care improved? Isn’t that what matters?

Dr. Rack says his rates have gone down, but have payouts? Did the insurers set their loss reserves far higher than they needed to? Or did they way overestimate losses and gouge you for several years as the economy was slow? I’m betting you have no clue.

Granted, we can all agree that insurers have less chance of paying large claims to the legitimately injured, and as the economy has improved physicians are putting more in their pockets, but what of the patients? Remember them?

I do like the WV example. If only cause and effect were so simple.

6 Anonymous June 10, 2008 at 4:44 pm

>>I’m betting you have no clue.

And you do?

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