Voters in California Will Decide Whether to Raise Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages

Critics of the California law that caps medical malpractice noneconomic damages at $250,000 have enough signatures for a ballot initiative that would raise the limit if passed.

The current $250,000 limit is part of California's Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act, which was passed in 1975. Proponents of the new legislation say the noneconomic damages cap needs to be raised to account for inflation, according to a Bloomberg News report.

The ballot initiative seeks to raise the cap to more than $1 million, according to the report.

Along with raising the damages cap, the proposed legislation would also require physicians to view a statewide prescription database before giving patients medications and to report colleagues they believe to be medically negligent or impaired by drugs and alcohol, according to the report.

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