Source: https://www.medicalmalpracticehelp.com/maine-medical-malpractice-lawyer/
Timestamp: 2018-03-18 10:01:55
Document Index: 180937281

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2902', '§ 2902', '§ 2902', '§ 853', '§ 8103', '§ 104', '§ 8104', '§ 8104', '§ 2', '§ 164', '§ 2853', '§ 2851', '§ 2852', '§ 2854', '§ 2855', '§ 2855', '§ 2857', '§ 2857', '§ 2853', '§ 2961', '§ 2961', '§ 2907', '§ 2907']

Maine Medical Malpractice Lawyer | MedicalMalpracticeHelp.com
You are here: Medical Malpractice Help State 411 Maine Medical Malpractice Lawyer
The Law of Medical Malpractice in Maine:
In general, medical malpractice claims in Maine are subject to a three-year statute of limitations that is contained inMaine Revised Statutes(“MRS”)§ 2902. The statute states that “actions for professional negligence must be commenced within 3 years after the cause of action accrues. For the purposes of this section, a cause of action accrues on the date of the act or omission giving rise to the injury.” Id.
It is often the case that a single day is the difference between whether a plaintiff may commence an action or is time-barred because the limitations period has expired. Miscalculating when the last day of the limitations period is can literally result in an injured patient, even with a meritorious claim, being denied the chance at any recovery. As such, it is critical to understand precisely how time is computed under Maine law in calculating the exact date the applicable limitations period ends. Rule 6 of theMaine Rules of Civil Procedure governs how time is calculated in the construction of state statutes. It provides:
Maine recognizes the Discovery Rule for medical malpractice claims in one specific situation.MRS § 2902 provides that the standard three-year statute of limitations “does not apply when the cause of action is based upon the leaving of a foreign object in the body, in which case the cause of action accrues when the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered the harm.” The statute states that the term ‘foreign object’ does not include “a chemical compound, prosthetic aid or object intentionally implanted or permitted to remain in the patient’s body as part of the health care or professional services.” Id.
Individuals who are deemed mentally ill are also subject to a different limitations period than the general three-year period that normally applies to medical malpractice claims.MRS § 2902. Under MRS § 853, a person entitled to bring a medical malpractice action who is mentally ill at the time of accrual of the action has three years to bring the action from the date the disability, i.e., mental illness, is removed.
TheMaine Tort Claims Act governs suits against the state and governmental entities. It provides: “Except as otherwise expressly provided by statute, all governmental entities shall be immune from suit on any and all tort claims seeking recovery of damages. When immunity is removed by this chapter, any claim for damages shall be brought in accordance with the terms of” the Act. MRS § 8103(1).
The Act provides for a few very limited exceptions to the state’s immunity from suit, but claims for personal injury due to medical malpractice is not one of the specified exceptions.MRS § 104A. Moreover, the Maine Supreme Court explicitly announced that state hospitals enjoy “the broad general immunity provided by the Tort Claims Act.” Darling v. Augusta Mental Health Institute, 535 A.2d 421, 423 (Me. 1987).
However, medical malpractice actions against the state or its employees for wrongful death are permitted because the state waived immunity for such claims inMRS § 8104-C. The Maine Supreme Court instructed that “claims of medical malpractice against governmental entities and their employees must be brought in accordance with the MTCA….” Hinkley v. Penobscot Valley Hospital, 794 A.2d 643, 647 (Me. 2002). But the provision within the Act that authorizes wrongful death suits against a governmental entity or employee, i.e.,MRS § 8104-C, expressly states that such actions must be brought in accordance with the general procedures for wrong death claims in Title 18-A, section 2-804. Accordingly, wrongful death claims based on medical malpractice may be brought against the state or its employees, and the procedure set forth in MRS § 2-804 govern.
Maine has enacted a general Good Samaritan law that is codified inMRS § 164. The statute provides immunity for individuals who, in good faith, render aid at an emergency scene. It states:
Filing a written notice of claim, setting forth, under oath, the professional negligence alleged and the nature and circumstances of the injuries and damages alleged, with the Superior Court. The claimant must serve the notice of claim on the person accused of professional negligence. The return service must be filed with the court within 90 days after filing the notice of claim.MRS § 2853.
According toMRS § 2851, the purpose of the mandatory prelitigation screening and mediation panels is:
MRS § 2852sets forth detailed procedures for the formation and operation of the panel, and MRS § 2854 details the procedures for the hearing.
If negligence on the part of the health care practitioner or health care provider is found, whether any negligence on the part of the patient was equal to or greater than the negligence on the part of the practitioner or provider.MRS § 2855(1).
The defendant must prove comparative negligence by a preponderance of the evidence.MRS § 2855(2).
In general, the “findings and other writings of the panel and any evidence and statements made by a party or a party’s representative during a panel hearing are not admissible and may not otherwise be submitted or used for any purpose in a subsequent court action and may not be publicly disclosed….” MRS § 2857(1). However, there are certain specified exceptions to the foregoing general rule listed inMRS § 2857 of which plaintiffs should be aware.
If all parties to the claim agree, they can bypass the panel and commence a lawsuit in court.MRS § 2853(5). For a thorough discussion of all aspects of the panel process by the Maine Supreme Court, see Smith v. Hawthorne, 924 A.2d 1051, 1053-1055 (Me. 2007).
In Maine, there is only one form of action, and it is known as a “civil action.” Rule 2 of the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure.Civil actions are commenced by filing a complaint with the appropriate court or by service of a summons and complaint.Rule 3. When the first method is used, “the complaint must be filed with the court within 20 days after completion of service.” Id. When the second method is used, “the return service shall be filed with the court within 90 days after the filing of the complaint.” Id.
The complaint is one of the recognized forms of pleading under Maine law.Rule 7(a). Each allegation contained in the initial complaint “shall be simple, concise, and direct. No technical forms of pleadings or motions are required.” Rule 8(e)(1). The plaintiff “may set forth two or more statements of a claim or defense alternately or hypothetically, either in one count … or in separate counts….” Rule 8(e)(2). In addition, the plaintiff may “state as many separate claims” as he or she “has regardless of consistency and whether based on legal or equitable grounds.” Id. Complaints “shall be so construed as to do substantial justice.” Rule 8(f).
The complaint “shall contain (1) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief, and (2) a demand for judgment for the relief which the pleader seeks. Relief in the alternative or of several different types may be demanded.”Rule 8(a).
The starting point for whether expert witness opinion testimony is admissible isRule 702 of the Maine Rules of Evidence. The Rule states: “A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if such testimony will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue.”
The Maine Supreme Court utilizes a two-part test for determining the admissibility of expert witness opinion testimony based upon Rule 702 andRule 401. In the admissibility analysis, the proponent of the expert testimony is required to establish that (1) the testimony is relevant and (2) the testimony will assist the trier of fact in understanding the evidence or determining a fact in issue. Williams, 388 A.2d at 504. In addition, to “meet the two-part standard for the admission of expert testimony, the testimony must also meet a threshold level of reliability.” Searles, 878 A.2d at 516 (quoting In re Sarah C., 864 A.2d 162, 165 (2004)).
Maine law caps the amount of attorney fees in medical malpractice cases.Under MRS § 2961(1), the amount of the plaintiff’s attorney fees may not exceed the amounts in the following schedule:
It also contains a provision that allows the plaintiff’s attorney to seek fees in excess of the statutory caps provided in Subsection 1.MRS § 2961(3). Subsection 3 states the plaintiff’s attorney may petition the court to review the reasonableness of the permissible fees under the statute, and the court may award greater fees provided that:
Maine is among the states that have enacted an “I’m Sorry” law. It is contained inMRS § 2907 and is specific to healthcare providers. The statute shields healthcare providers who communicate gestures of sympathy or benevolence by making them inadmissible as evidence of liability in an action for medical malpractice. The statute reads as follows:
Unanticipated outcome—the outcome of a medical treatment or procedure that differs from and expected result.MRS § 2907(1).