A plan for medical malpractice compensation is under consideration in Georgia. The new system would move malpractice suits out of the court of law and into a review panel. Critics of this program feel that it will increase health care costs, but the proponents feel that this is a great way to actually save money while protecting doctors from protracted medical malpractice lawsuits.
The proposed system is designed to try and save consumers money in the medical industry. A state senator supporting the new plan has asserted that many doctors are ordering unnecessary tests to ensure that they cannot be found liable into a malpractice suit. Also, since the plan protects doctors from public lawsuits that may unnecessarily ruin the doctors’ reputation, proponents of the plan feel that the doctor can learn from any errors and without removing their skills from the industry.
Some critics of the plan believe that this new philosophy may actually cause more monetary damage than monetary assistance. The president of the State Bar of Georgia believes that an unbiased court may also prove to be the best way to resolve any malpractice issues, and a former attorney general stated that he believes the new system could be declared unconstitutional if placed under legal scrutiny.
If the new plan goes into effect, the system will drastically change the way medical malpractice compensation is distributed. However, the current system still relies of the filing of malpractice claims in civil courts. An attorney with experience litigating medical malpractice claims may be able to help any victims injured by a negligent doctor receive compensation.
Source: Insurance Journal, “Georgia Studies Moving Malpractice Claims from Court to Review Panel“, Christina Cassidy, September 26, 2013
