A bill to provide health care liability reform, and for other purposes

2007·0.61 MB·English

by  United States. Congress. House

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110thcongress H. R. 3509
1stSession
ToprovidehealthcareliabiUtyreform,andforotherpurposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September10,2007
Mr.Burgessintroducedthefollowingbill;whichwasreferredtothe
CommitteeontheJudiciary
A
BILL
ToprovidehealthcareUabihtyreform,andforother
purposes.
1 BeitenactedbytheSenateandHouseofRepresenta-
2 tivesoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainCongressassembled,
3 SECTION1.SHORTTITLE;TABLEOFCONTENTS.
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4 (a) Short Title. This Act may be cited as the
5 "MedicalJusticeActof2007".
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6 (b) Table ofContents. Thetableofcontentsof
7 thisActisasfollows:
Sec. 1. Shorttitle;tableofcontents.
Sec.2.Caponnon-economicdamagesagainsthealthcarepractitioners.
Sec. 3.Caponnon-economicdamagesagainsthealthcareinstitutions.
Sec. 4. Cap, inwrongful death cases, on total damages against any single
healthcarepractitioner.
Sec. 5. LimitationofinsurerUabilitywheninsurerrejectscertainsettlementof-
fers.
See. 6.Mandatoiyjuryinstructiononcapondamages.
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See. 7.Determinationofnegligence;mandatoryjuryinstruction.
Sec. 8. Expertreportsrequiredtobeservedincivilactions.
Sec. 9. Expertopinionsrelatingtophysiciansmaybeprovidedonlybyactively
practicingphysicians.
Sec. 10.Paymentoffuturedamagesonperiodicoraccrualbasis.
Sec. 11.Unanimousjuryrequiredforpunitiveorexemplarydamages.
Sec. 12.ProportionateUability.
Sec. 13.Defense-initiatedsettlementprocess.
Sec. 14. Statuteoflimitations;statuteofrepose.
See. 15. Limitation on liability for Good Samaritans providing emergency
healthcare.
Sec. 16. Definitions.
1 SEC. 2. CAP ON NON-ECONOMIC DAMAGES AGAINST
2 HEALTHCAREPRACTITIONERS.
3 When an indi\idual is injured or dies as the result
4 ofhealthcare,apersonentitledtonon-economicdamages
5 maynotrecover,fromtheclassofhablehealthcarepracti-
6 tioners (regardless of the theory of habihty), more
7 $250,000suchdamages.
8 SEC. 3. CAP ON NON-ECONOMIC DAMAGES AGAINST
9 HEALTHCAREINSTITUTIONS.
10 When an individual is injured or dies as the result
11 ofhealthcare,apersonentitledtonon-economicdamages
12 maynotrecover
13 (1)fromanysinglehablehealthcareinstitution
14 (regardless of the theoi^^ of habihty), more than
15 $250,000suchdamages;and
16 (2) from the class ofhable health care institu-
17 tions (regardless of the theory of habihty), more
18 than$500,000suchdamages.
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1 SEC.4.CAP,INWRONGFULDEATHCASES,ONTOTALDAM-
2 AGES AGAINST ANY SINGLE HEALTH CARE
3 PRACTITIONER.
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4 (a) In General. When an individual dies as the
5 result ofhealth care, a person entitled to damages may
6 notrecover,fromanysinglehablehealthcarepractitioner
7 (regardless of the theory of hability), more than
8 $1,400,000intotaldamages.
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9 (b) TotalDamagesDefined. Inthissection,the
10 term "total damages" includes compensatory damages,
11 punitivedamages, statutorydamages, andanyothertype
12 ofdamages.
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13 (c) Adjustment for Inflation. For each cal-
14 endar year after the calendar year ofthe enactment of
15 thisAct, the doUar amount referredto in subsection (a)
16 shallbeadjustedtoreflectchangesintheConsumerPrice
17 IndexoftheBureauofLaborStatisticsoftheDepartment
18 ofLabor. Theadjustment shaUbebasedonthe relation-
19 shipbetween
20 (1) the Consumer Price Index data most re-
21 cently pubhshed as of Januarys 1 of the calendar
22 yearoftheenactmentofthisAct;and
23 (2) the Consumer Price Index data most re-
24 cently pubhshed as of Januarys 1 of the calendar
25 vearconcerned.
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1 (d) Applicability of Adjustment. The dollar
2 amount that apphes to a recovery is the doUar amount
3 forthecalendaryearduringwhichtheamountofthere-
4 eoveryismadefinal.
5 SEC. 5. LIMITATION OF INSURER LIABILITY WHEN IN-
6 SURERREJECTS CERTAIN SETTLEMENT OF-
7 FERS.
8 In a civil action, to the extent the civil action seeks
9 damages for the injuryor death ofan individual as the
10 result ofhealth care, when the insurer ofa health care
11 practitionerorhealthcareinstitutionrejectsareasonable
12 settlementofferwithinpoUcylimits,theinsurerisnot,by
13 reasonofthatrejection, liablefordamagesinanamount
14 thatexceedsthehabilityoftheinsured.
15 SEC.6.MANDATORYJURYINSTRUCTIONONCAPONDAM-
16 AGES.
17 Inacivilactiontriedtoajury,totheextentthecivil
18 action seeks damages forthe injuryor death ofan indi-
19 vidualastheresultofhealthcare,thecourtshallinstruct
20 thejurythat thejury is not to consider whether, or to
21 whatextent,aUmitationondamagesapphes.
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1 SEC. 7. DETERMINATION OF NEGLIGENCE; MANDATORY
2 JURYINSTRUCTION.
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3 (a) In General. ^Whenanindividual is injuredor
4 dies as the result ofhealth care, liabihty for neghgence
5 maynotbebasedsolelyonabadresult.
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6 (b) MandatoryJuryInstruction. In acivilac-
7 tion tried to ajurv^, to the extent the civil action seeks
8 damages for the injurj' or death ofan individual as the
9 result ofhealth care and alleges Uability for neghgence,
10 thecourtshallinstructthejuryaspro\idedinsubsection
11 (a).
12 SEC. 8. EXPERT REPORTS REQUIRED TO BE SERVED IN
13 CIVILACTIONS.
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14 (a) Service Required. To the extent a pleading
15 filedinacivilactionseeksdamagesagainstahealthcare
16 practitionerfortheinjury'ordeathofanindividualasthe
17 result ofhealth care, the partyfihngthe pleading shall,
18 notlaterthan120daysafterthedateonwhichtheplead-
19 ingwasfiled,serveoneachpartyagainstwhomsuchdam-
20 agesaresoughtaqualifiedexpertreport.
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21 (b) Qualified Expert Report. ^As used in sub-
22 section (a), a quaUfied expert report is a written report
23 ofaquahfiedhealthcareexpertthat
24 (1) includes a curriculumvitae forthat expert;
25 and
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1 (2) sets fortha summaryofthe expert opinion
2 ofthatexpertasto
3 (A) the standardofcareapplicabletothat
4 practitioner;
5 (B) how that practitioner failed to meet
6 thatstandardofcare; and
7 (C) the causal relationship between that
8 failureandtheinjuryordeathoftheindividual.
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9 (c) Motion To Enforce. party not served as
10 requiredbysubsection (a) maymovethecourttoenforce
11 thatsubsection.Onsuchamotion,thecourt
12 (1) shall dismiss, with prejudice, the pleading
13 asitrelatestothatparty;and
14 (2) shall award to that partythe attorneyfees
15 reasonablyincurredbythatpartytorespondtothat
16 pleading.
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17 (d)UseopExpertReport.
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18 (1) In general. Except as otherwise pro-
19 \'idedinthissection, aquaUfiedexpertreportserved
20 under subsection (a) maynot, in that ci\al action
21 (A)beofferedbyanypartyasevidence;
22 (B) be used by any party in discovery or
23 anyotherpretrialproceeding;or
24 (C)bereferredtobyanypartyattrial.
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25 (2)Violations.
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1 (A) By other party. If paragraph (1)
2 isviolatedbyapartyotherthanthepartywho
3 servedthereport, the court shall, on motion of
4 any party or on its own motion, take such
5 measures as the court considers appropriate,
6 which may include the imposition ofsanctions.
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7 (B)Byservingparty. Ifparagraph (1)
8 isviolated bythe partywho served the report,
9 paragraph (1) shall no longer apply to any
10 party.
11 SEC.9.EXPERTOPINIONSRELATINGTOPHYSICIANSMAY
12 BE PROVIDED ONLY BY ACTIVELY PRAC-
13 TICINGPHYSICIANS.
14 (a) In General.—Aphysician-related opinion may
15 beprovided onlyby an activelypracticingphysicianwho
16 is determined by the court to be qualified on the basis
17 oftrainingandexperiencetorenderthatopinion.
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18 (b) Considerations Required. In determining
19 whetheranactivelypracticingphysicianisquahfiedunder
20 subsection (a), the court shall, except on good cause
21 shown, considerwhetherthatphysicianisboard-certified,
22 or has other substantial training, in an area ofmedical
23 practice relevantto the health caretowhichthe opinion
24 relates.
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25 (c)Definitions. ^Inthissection:
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1 (1) The term "actively practicing physician"
2 meansanindividualwho
3 (A) is licensed to practice medicine in the
4 United States or, ifthe indi^idual is a defend-
5 ant providing a physician-related opinion with
6 respect to the health care providedbythat de-
7 fendant, is a graduate of a medical school ac-
8 credited by the Liaison Committee on Medical
9 Education or the American Osteopatliic Asso-
10 elation;
11 (B) is practicing medicine when the opin-
12 ion is rendered, or was practicing medicine
13 whenthehealthcarewaspro\'ided;and
14 (C) has knowledge ofthe accepted stand-
15 ards of care for the health care to which the
16 opinionrelates.
17 (2) Theterm"physician-relatedopinion"means
18 an expertopinion as to anyone ormore ofthe fol-
19 lowing:
20 (A) The standard of care apphcable to a
21 physician.
22 (B) Whether a physician failed to meet
23 suchastandardofcare.
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1 (C) Wliether there was a causal relation-
2 shipbetween such afailurebyaphysician and
3 theinjur}'ordeathofanindividual.
4 (3) The term "practicing medicine" includes
5 training residents or students at an accredited
6 school of medicine or osteopathy, and serving as a
7 consultingphysiciantootherphysicianswhoprovide
8 directpatientcare.
9 SEC.10.PAYMENTOFFUTUREDAMAGESONPERIODICOR
10 ACCRUALBASIS.
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11 (a)InGeneral. Whenfuturedamagesareaward-
12 ed against a health care practitionerto apersonforthe
13 injuryordeathofanindividualasaresultofhealthcare,
14 andthepresentvalueofthosefuturedamagesis$100,000
15 ormore, thathealthcarepractitionermaymovethatthe
16 courtorderpaymentonaperiodicoraccrualbasisofthose
17 damages.Onsuchamotion,thecourt
18 (1) shallorderthatpaymentbemadeonanac-
19 crual basis of future damages described in sub-
20 section(b)(1);and
21 (2) mayorderthatpaymentbemadeonaperi-
22 odic or accrual basis of any other future damages
23 thatthecourtconsidersappropriate.
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24 (b) Future Damages Defined. In this section,
25 theterm"futuredamages"means
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1 (1) the future costs ofmedical, health care, or
2 custodialservices;
3 (2) noneconomic damages, such as pain and
4 sufferingorlossofconsortium;
5 (3)lossoffutureearnings;and
6 (4) anyotherdamagesincurredaftertheaward
7 ismade.
8 SEC. 11.UNANIMOUSJURYREQUIRED FORPUNITIVE OR
9 EXEMPLARYDAMAGES.
10 When an individual is injured or dies as the result
11 ofhealthcare,ajurymaynotawardpunitiveorexemplary
12 damagesagainstahealthcarepractitionerorhealthcare
13 institution unless thejury is unanimous with regard to
14 boththehabihtyofthatpartyforsuchdamages andthe
15 amountoftheawardofsuchdamages.
16 SEC.12.PROPORTIONATELIABILITY.
17 When an individual is injured or dies as the result
18 ofhealthcareandapersonisentitledtodamagesforthat
19 injuryordeath, eachpersonresponsibleisliableonlyfor
20 a proportionate share ofthe total damages that directly
21 corresponds to that person's proportionate share of the
22 totalresponsibility.
23 SEC.13.DEFENSE-INITIATEDSETTLEMENTPROCESS.
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24 (a)InGeneral. ^Inacivilaction,totheextentthe
25 civil action seeks damages for the injury or death ofan
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