Thursday, November 21, 2013

Report on medical malpractice at the VA

The Dayton Daily News has a story on malpractice at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  The article notes that VA health care providers are  immune from lawsuits and details instances of bonuses given to providers who had made medical errors or administrators despite poor records at their facilities.  The article also quotes attorneys arguing that an early disclosure requirement and limits on attorneys' fees (20% on settlements and 25% on awards) reduce the amount of claims brought against the VA.   VA med mal claims are paid from a federal treasury fund set aside for federal claims, not the VA budget.  The article includes poignant stories by individual victims of malpractice.

Thanks to the TortsProf blog for the link.