Florida Hospitals Must Tell Patients of Lawsuit Limits

January 20, 2010

The Florida Supreme Court says hospitals must warn patients about a state law that bars malpractice lawsuits for birth-related neurological injuries.

The justices last week ruled hospitals that fail to do so can then be sued even if a patient’s doctor provided a notice required by a law designed to reduce malpractice cases against obstetricians.

Properly noticed patients cannot sue but receive limited no-fault compensation if something goes wrong.

The ruling came in two cases involving Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg.

It reversed lower court rulings that said hospitals are covered by doctors’ notices. The justices said the law clearly requires hospitals as well as doctors to notify patients.

Topics Lawsuits Florida

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Latest Comments

  • January 22, 2010 at 1:00 am
    TX Agentman says:
    What ever happened to doctors only being sued if they were NEGLIGENT? Now it seems that if a surgery doesn't go exactly how a patient wants, that they can take the doctor to c... read more
  • January 20, 2010 at 6:02 am
    nobody important says:
    Maybe I didn't read it carefully, but I still this it's another trial lawyers full employment bill. I won't ever apologize for thinking the worst of those parasites.
  • January 20, 2010 at 1:25 am
    mags says:
    Undoubtedly you didn't read the article very well. This has nothing to do with surgery but birth-related neurological injuries.

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