June 18, 2009

Chris Seper, MedCityNews:

State by state, emergency physicians are winning added protections against malpractice suits through new laws that can provide near-immunity from most emergency department mistakes. ...

Ohio is the latest state to introduce new legislation that would dramatically increase the legal standard to win a civil suit against a doctor working at an emergency department. It also offers the same protection for doctors helping after floods, tornadoes or other disasters.

The bill says physicians would have qualified civil immunity while working in emergency rooms and be subject only to lawsuits if they showed "willful or wanton misconduct" -- a high standard for liability usually reserved to determine punitive damages.

(via White Coat's Call Room). A different view: Robinette (via).