Verdicts just set the stage for the great majority of settlements. The fear of emotional based outrageous verdicts is the cause of overpayment of many claims. Payouts based on that fear is the reason there are not that many large verdicts. Defendants just don’t dare to entrust their financial existance to juries with limitless authority. Med Mal caps have brought claims payouts down and premiums along ith them. We can expect the same results with the caps sought by the legislature.
Todd Atwater, CEO of the South Carolina Medical Association, said the rates of medical malpractice insurance are going down, as are the number of claims. Why is it that nothing was mentioned about medical charges being reduced accordingly?
“The measure would limit the amount juries could award to punish a person or business for negligence. Such punitive damages could be $350,000 or three times compensatory damages, whichever is greater.” I’d be willing to bet that the punitive damages have nothing to do with negligence, as claimed in the article. Negligence results in the awarding of general and special damages, but not punitive damages.
Verdicts just set the stage for the great majority of settlements. The fear of emotional based outrageous verdicts is the cause of overpayment of many claims. Payouts based on that fear is the reason there are not that many large verdicts. Defendants just don’t dare to entrust their financial existance to juries with limitless authority. Med Mal caps have brought claims payouts down and premiums along ith them. We can expect the same results with the caps sought by the legislature.
Todd Atwater, CEO of the South Carolina Medical Association, said the rates of medical malpractice insurance are going down, as are the number of claims. Why is it that nothing was mentioned about medical charges being reduced accordingly?
“The measure would limit the amount juries could award to punish a person or business for negligence. Such punitive damages could be $350,000 or three times compensatory damages, whichever is greater.” I’d be willing to bet that the punitive damages have nothing to do with negligence, as claimed in the article. Negligence results in the awarding of general and special damages, but not punitive damages.