Missouri Court Overturns 2005 Cap on Liability Lawsuits

August 2, 2012

The Missouri Supreme Court has overturned a key provision in a Republican-backed “tort reform” law that limited the amount of money people could win in medical malpractice lawsuits.

In a 4-3 decision Tuesday, the high court said the 2005 law violated the right to a jury trial by capping noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases at $350,000. The limit had applied to lawsuits alleging health care providers were at fault for injuries or deaths.

The monetary limit had been a focal point of a law passed by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by then-Gov. Matt Blunt. They had hoped it would help reign in rising medical malpractice premiums for doctors and thus improve the availability of health care.

Was this article valuable?

Here are more articles you may enjoy.