Consumer Watchdog and bereaved parents who lost two children to medical negligence have turned in 840,000 signatures to get an initiative on California's November ballot that would raise the $250,000 state cap on noneconomic damages to more than $1 million.
While the proposed legislation would lift the state's pain and suffering damages cap, proponents say their primary goal is to improve patient safety, according to a Sacramento Business Journal report.
The measure is named the
Along with raising the damages cap, the proposed legislation would also place additional requirements on physicians regarding the reporting of prescription drug abuse among patients and colleagues.
Physicians and insurance companies are fighting the initiative, saying the drug abuse provisions were added by trial lawyers simply to entice voters to approve a measure whose real purpose is to fatten payouts in lawsuits, according to the report.
More Articles on Medical Malpractice Caps:
Florida Supreme Court Rules Malpractice Damage Cap Unconstitutional
California Plaintiffs' Bar Sets Sights on Lifting Medical Malpractice Cap
Missouri Passes $350k Cap on Malpractice Awards