July 20, 2004

The Florida Supreme Court has certified four initiatives for the November ballot: a doctor-sponsored measure that would "limit lawyers' contingency fees to 30 percent of the first $250,000 in all medical malpractice damage awards and 10 percent of all damages above $250,000," and three lawyer-sponsored "revenge initiatives" aimed at making life tougher for doctors in various ways. The lawyers offered to withdraw their ballot measures if the doctors would withdraw theirs, but the docs said no go. (Alisa Ulferts, "Medical malpractice war gives voters the ammo", St. Petersburg Times, Jul. 17). See Overlawyered, Mar. 1.