Senate passes medical malpractice bill

WMCTV.COM
April 2, 2007

The state Senate on Monday unanimously passed a measure intended to limit medical malpractice lawsuits in Tennessee.

Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris, of Collierville, said the bill would cut down on frivolous lawsuits against doctors by requiring attorneys to pre-certify the merits of their cases with independent medical experts.

The proposal has been hashed out between Republican sponsors and House Judiciary Chairman Rob Briley, D-Nashville, since January.

"I'm very pleased," said Norris. "It's the fruit of many labors."

Briley has said his committee may add a provision to broaden rules for qualifications of medical expert witnesses when it meets on Tuesday.

Norris had said there wasn't enough time to include that amendment in the Senate version.

The proposed compromise over medical malpractice lawsuits leaves out caps on lawsuit awards that have long been called for by the Tennessee Medical Association.