December 13, 2004

The ballot battles continue: trial lawyers and allies in Washington state have gathered enough signatures to qualify a ballot initiative that would (as with recently successful Florida measures) curb peer-review confidentiality and bar doctors from practice after three findings of medical negligence. It would do other things, too, including outlaw confidentiality agreements in settlements, start a supplemental insurance fund, and, so it is said, sanction lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits. Doctors have their own proposal which hasn't qualified yet (via KevinMD).