Source: https://www.medicalmalpracticehelp.com/lawyer/florida-2/
Timestamp: 2019-02-16 16:14:29
Document Index: 612421713

Matched Legal Cases: ['§766', '§768', '§768', '§766', '§766', '§766', '§766', '§766', '§766', '§766', '§766', '§766']

Florida Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando
You are here: Medical Malpractice Help » Lawyer » Florida
Upon completion of both the claimant’s and prospective defendant’s presuit investigations, either party may file a motion in circuit court requesting the court to determine whether the opposing party’s claim or denial has a reasonable basis. If the court determines that either the claim or denial fails to comply with the reasonable investigation requirement, the court will dismiss the claim or strike the defendant’s pleading. The person who mailed either the baseless claim or denial is personally liable for all attorney’s fees and costs incurred during the investigation and evaluation period, including the reasfonable attorney’s fees and costs of the opposing party. F.S. §766.206.
Florida’s Good Samaritan Act also provides enhanced protection for any healthcare provider, including hospitals, providing emergency services as required by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (federal law requiring hospital emergency departments to screen, treat, and stabilize patient’s emergency medical condition regardless of ability to pay). F.S. §768.13(2)(b)1. Basically, the Good Samaritan Act provides them with immunity from civil liability for negligence while rendering healthcare treatment in response to a patient’s immediate emergency medical condition.Once the patient’s condition has been stabilized, the enhanced immunity provided by this subsection is no longer applicable. F.S. §768.13(2)(c)2.
F.S. §766.2021 caps the liability for damages in a medical malpractice claim against insurers, prepaid limited health services organizations, health maintenance organizations, and prepaid health clinics that employ a licensed healthcare provider to the maximum amount of damages that can be imposed directly upon the healthcare provider in question under F.S. §766.118.
To qualify as a medical expert witness in a Florida medical malpractice case, F.S. §766.202(6) requires that the person must duly and regularly engage in the practice of his or her profession, hold a healthcare professional degree from a university or college, and meet the additional requirements of a medical expert witness as set forth in F.S. §766.102(5), which provides additional special requirements for experts to provide testimony in medical malpractice cases.
It must be noted that F.S. §766.102(12) also requires the medical expert witness to have the same state license as the healthcare provider against whom or on whose behalf testimony is offered or to have a valid expert witness certificate. This section was introduced by the Florida Legislature in 2011 and essentially requires expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases to be licensed in Florida or obtain a special category of license from the Florida Department of Health called an expert witness certificate, which was created in response to the new requirement in F.S. §766.102(12).
Florida statute places various caps on noneconomic damages for medical malpractice claims. The caps range from $150,000 up to $1,500,000 based on the type of injury sustained and the type of defendant, i.e., doctor, hospital, etc. F.S. §766.118. However, it is important to understand that this is an area of the law that appears to be in considerable flux and thus subject to uncertainty. In 2014, the Florida Supreme Court held that a specific portion of the law capping noneconomic damages violates the state constitution (see Subsection immediately below). Several cases are currently making their way through the court system challenging other aspects of the law based on the Supreme Court’s 2014 decision. Consequently, interested parties are advised to check regularly for changes in this unsettled and evolving area of the law.
In 2003, Florida enacted a highly controversial law limiting the amount of noneconomic damages that can be obtained by a claimant based on the type of injury and various types of defendants. F.S. §766.118. For example, it places a limit of $500,000 per claimant for a nonemergency“cause of action for personal injury or wrongful death arising from medical negligence of practitioners, regardless of the number of such practitioner defendants….” Further, the law provides that no practitioner is liable for more than $500,000 in noneconomic damages, regardless of the number of claimants. The limitation on damages is raised to $1,000,000 in the event of death or permanent vegetative state.
Upon a determination that a claim is compensable under the Plan, F.S. §766.31(1) requiresthe administrative law judge to make an award providing compensation for the following items.
When you have a question about medical malpractice, it is best to seek the advice of several attorneys regarding your legal options. In some cases an attorney may not be experienced in your type of case while another one specializes in that specific incidence. Some attorneys may have a conflict of interest in your case, and others may have a work overload.
However, if you have seen three or more attorneys and they all decline you, chances are you do not have a strong enough case to take to trial. Processing a case is very expensive, and if the attorneys feel that the compensation will not be worth your time – meaning it will only cover costs and you do not benefit – they will not take the case.
You can file an administrative complaint against the doctor or hospital if this occurs. While this will not provide you with compensation; your actions could help prevent the mistake from happening to anyone else.