MALPRACTICE REFORM, PART I

The Senate approved a measure that would limit punitive damages in medical malpractice cases to two times the jury award, including the pain and suffering portion of the judgment. The provision, a more moderate approach than the version passed by the House, is part of a larger amendment also adopted today that establishes a uniform national standard of medical malpractice law. In a blow to the American Medical Association, the Senate rejected a proposal that would have capped pain and suffering awards at $500,000. The malpractice amendments are in turn part of a larger Senate debate on abill covering product liability laws. Majority Leader Bob Dole wants to cap on punitive damages in all civil suits at twice the claimant's compensatory damages.