Source: https://www.medicalmalpracticehelp.com/news/the-law-of-medical-malpractice-in-iowa-a-survey-of-basic-considerations/
Timestamp: 2019-03-23 15:10:29
Document Index: 360252276

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 614', '§ 4', '§ 614', '§ 614', '§ 669', '§ 669', '§ 669', '§ 669', '§ 669', '§ 669', '§ 613', '§ 147', '§ 668', '§ 668', '§ 668', '§ 668', '§ 668', '§ 668', '§ 147', '§ 147', '§ 622']

The Law of Medical Malpractice in Iowa: A Survey of Basic Considerations | Medical Malpractice Help
Medical Malpractice Help » News » Legal Information » Iowa » The Law of Medical Malpractice in Iowa: A Survey of Basic Considerations
The Law of Medical Malpractice in Iowa: A Survey of Basic Con
In general, medical malpractice claims in Iowa are subject to a two-year statute of limitations that is contained in Iowa Code (“IC”) § 614.1(9)(a). The limitations period begins to run as of the date on which the plaintiff knew or should have known of the injury or death. The statute states that medical malpractice claims must be brought “within two years after the date on which the claimant knew, or through the use of reasonable diligence should have known, or received notice in writing of the existence of, the injury or death for which damages are sought in the action, whichever of the dates occurs first….” Id. Thus, the general rule requires that an injured party has two years from the date he or she knew or constructively knew of the injury that serves as the basis for the claim.
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 Iowa law in calculating the exact date the applicable limitations period ends. IC § 4.1(34) governs how time is calculated in the construction of state statutes. It provides:
Minors are subject to a different limitations period than the standard two-year period that normally applies to medical malpractice claims. IC § 614.1(9)(b) governs medical malpractice actions involving minors. It provides that “a minor who was under the age of eight years when the act, omission, or occurrence alleged in the action occurred shall be commenced no later than the minor’s tenth birthday” or as provided for in the general rule, whichever is later. Otherwise, under IC § 614.8(2), minors “have one year from and after attainment of majority within which to file a” medical malpractice claim.
Medical malpractice claims against the State of Iowa and its employees are subject to the Iowa Tort Claims Act contained in Chapter 669 of the Iowa Code. The Iowa Supreme Court discussed bringing suit under the Act as follows:
The Iowa Tort Claims Act (ITCA) provides a limited waiver of the state’s sovereign immunity. See Iowa Code ch. 669; Hansen v. State, 298 N.W.2d 263, 265 (Iowa 1980) (“The state may now be sued in tort only in the manner and to the extent to which consent has been given by the legislature.”); see also Thomas v. Gavin, 838 N.W.2d 518, 521, 2013 WL 5583524 (Iowa 2013) (citing Don R. Bennett, Handling Tort Claims and Suits Against the State of Iowa: Part I, 17 Drake L.Rev. 189, 189 (1968) (“Prior to passage of the Iowa Tort Claims Act in 1965, the maxim that ‘the King can do no wrong’ prevailed in Iowa.”) (noting the ITCA is “viewed as abolishing traditional common law immunities”)). “Generally, the State may be sued for damage caused by the negligent or wrongful acts or omissions of state employees while acting within the scope of employment to the same extent that a private person may be sued.” McGill v. Fish, 790 N.W.2d 113, 117 (Iowa 2010) (citing Iowa Code § 669.2(3)(a) (2009)).
A claim must be duly filed in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Act “within two years after the claim accrued,” or it is forever time-barred. IC § 669.13(1). The foregoing statute of limitations is “extended for a period of six months from the date of mailing the notice to the claimant by the attorney general as to the final disposition of the claim or from the date of withdrawal of the claim under section 669.5, if the time to begin suit would otherwise expire before the end of the period.” Id. The statute of limitations contained in IC § 669.13 is the only one applicable to claims brought under the Act. IC § 669.13(3).
For purposes of claims brought pursuant to the Act, the “state shall be liable in respect to such claims to the same claimants, in the same manner, and to the same extent as a private individual under like circumstances, except that the state shall not be liable for interest prior to judgment or for punitive damages.” IC § 669.4. “The immunity of the state from suit and liability is waived to the extent provided in” the Act. Id. Under IC § 669.3(1), the attorney general “shall consider, ascertain, adjust, compromise, settle, determine, and allow any claim that is subject” to the Act.
Iowa has enacted a general Good Samaritan law that is codified in IC § 613.17(1). The statute provides immunity for individuals who, in good faith, render aid at an emergency scene. It states:
There are numerous statutes providing some form of immunity or limitation on liability for various healthcare practitioners, emergency personnel, healthcare related entities, and specific scenarios scattered throughout the 2017 Iowa Code. Many of the statutes medical malpractice plaintiffs are most likely to encounter are contained in Title 4 of the 2017 Iowa Code.
On May 5, 2017, then-Governor Terry Branstad signed Senate File 465 into law, which created new IC section 147.140, Expert witness—certificate of merit affidavit. The newly enacted statute now requires the submission of a Certificate of Merit prior to discovery. IC § 147.140(1)(a). The new provision reads:
All civil actions are commenced by filing a petition with the appropriate court. Rule 1.301(1) of the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure. Further, the “date of filing shall determine whether an action has been commenced within the time allowed by statutes for limitation of actions….” Id. A cover sheet[1] in the form mandated by the clerk of the court must be completed and accompany every civil petition. Rule 1.301(2). It should be noted that this “requirement is solely for administrative purposes, and matters appearing on the civil cover sheet have no legal effect in the action. Id.
The petition is one of the recognized forms of pleading under Iowa law. Rule 1.401. According to Rule 1.402(1), the “form and sufficiency of all pleadings shall be determined by” the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, and they shall be “construed and enforced to secure a just, speedy and inexpensive determination of all controversies on their merits.” Id.
Each allegation contained in the initial petition “shall be simple, concise, and direct. No technical forms of pleadings are required.” Rule 1.402(2)(a). 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 1.402(2)(b). 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.
In a claim for medical malpractice, the petition “shall contain a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief and a demand for judgment for the type of relief sought.” Rule 1.403(1). Additionally, relief “in the alternative or of several different types may be demanded.” Id. But “a pleading shall not state the specific amount of money damages sought but shall state whether the amount of damages meets applicable jurisdictional requirements for the amount in controversy. Id. The specific amount and elements of monetary damages sought may be obtained through discovery.” Id. “The petition shall state whether it is at law or in equity.” Rule 1.403(2).
a. The person is licensed to practice in the same filed as the defendant, is in good standing in each state of licensure, and in the five years preceding the act or omission alleged to be negligent, has not had a license in any state revoked or suspended.
b. In the five years preceding the act or omission alleged to be negligent, the person actively practiced in the same field as the defendant or was a qualified instructor at an accredited university in the same field as the defendant.
c. The person practice or provided university instruction in the same or substantially similar specialty as the defendant.
d. The person is trained and experienced in the same discipline or school of practice as the defendant or has specialty expertise in the disease process or procedure performed in the case.
e. If the defendant is board-certified in a specialty, the person is certified in the same specialty by a board recognized by the American board of medical specialties or the American osteopathic association.
By statute, Iowa uses modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar rule. IC § 668.3(1). The statute provides that a plaintiff’s contributory fault does not bar recovery, stating:
We begin with a review of the history of chapter 668 to put the operative statutory language in context. At common law, a plaintiff’s contributory negligence was a complete bar to recovery. Goetzman v. Wichern, 327 N.W.2d 742, 744 (Iowa 1982, superseded by statute, Iowa Code ch. 668. In Goetzman, we replaced the common law bar with the doctrine of pure comparative negligence “under which an injured party’s recovery is diminished in proportion to that party’s contributory negligence, and recovery is not barred unless the injured party’s negligence is the sole proximate cause of the damages.” Id. The legislature responded the following year by enacting the Comparative Fault Act, Iowa Code chapter 668. 1984 Iowa Acts ch. 1293. We have noted “[b]y its terms, the purpose of the comparative fault act is to establish ‘comparative fault as the basis for liability in relation to claims for damages arising from injury to or death of a person or harm to property.’” Waterloo Sav. Bank v. Austin, 494 N.W.2d 715, 717 (Iowa 1993) (quoting 1984 Iowa Acts ch. 1293).
Comparative negligence is a fault and damages allocation system. Under Iowa’s version, fault is determined and apportioned among the plaintiff and all defendants, third-party defendants, and released non-parties to the action, and how much compensation the plaintiff may recover is limited by his or her allocated relative share of fault for causing the injury. IC § 668.3(1). Fault is determined and apportioned among the plaintiff, all defendants, and released non-parties by the trier of fact, and the amount of damages the plaintiff can recover is limited by his or her relative share of fault.
It is the role of the trier of fact to determine the percentage of fault of the various parties and released non-parties in the case. IC § 668.3(3). It states: “In determining the percentage of fault, the trier of fact shall consider both the nature of the conduct of each party and the extent of the causal relation between the conduct and the damages claimed.” Id. However, IC § 668.3(4) states that the “court shall determine the amount of damages payable to each claimant by each other party, if any, in accordance with the findings of the court or jury.”
To recap, Iowa has codified the doctrine of modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar rule in IC § 668.3, which holds that if the plaintiff’s allocated percentage of fault is 51% or greater than the all the defendants, third-party defendants, and released non-parties, he or she is completely barred from recovering any damages. For example, assume a plaintiff is determined to be 50% at fault, and the damage award is $100,000. The amount to which the plaintiff is entitled is $50,000 because the plaintiff’s allocated percentage share of fault, i.e., 50% or $50,000, is deducted from the damage award. If the plaintiff were determined to be 51% at fault, he or she would not be entitled to any recovery because Iowa imposes the 51% bar rule.
Fortunately for plaintiffs pursuing medical malpractice claims, Iowa has adopted the combined comparison approach by statute. IC § 668.3(1)(a) provides that the plaintiff may recover damages “unless the claimant bears a greater percentage of fault than the combined percentage of fault attributed to the defendants, third-party defendants and person who have been released….”
On May 5, 2017, then-Governor Terry Branstad signed Senate File 465 into law, which created new IC section 147.136A—Noneconomic damage awards against health care providers. The newly enacted statute imposes a $250,000 cap on recoverable noneconomic damages for personal injury or death claims. IC § 147.136A(2). It reads:
First, in medical malpractice cases, IC § 147.138 directs the court to make a determination on the reasonableness of the attorney fee arrangement. The statute states:
Iowa is among the states that have enacted an “I’m Sorry” law. It is contained in IC § 622.31. The statute shields healthcare providers who communicate benevolent gestures by making them inadmissible as evidence of liability in an action for medical malpractice. The statute reads as follows:
[1] To view the official cover sheet, click here.
[3] State v. Hall, 297 N.W.2d 80 (Iowa 1980).
State law establishes the pre-filing requirements in a Florida medical malpractice case. If you attempt to file a lawsuit without completing these requirements, you will not be able to take legal action or recover damages. A medical malpractice lawyer in Florida can help you meet these pre-filing requirements and comply with other state regulations. Call
Medical malpractice is a broad term that describes situations where a doctor or medical professional fails to uphold the standard of care and injury or sickness results. Victims have experienced countless instances of medical malpractice, and millions of dollars get paid out each year in settlements and judgments. Medical malpractice can take many forms. If you believe you