LDM MedMal Forum
Iowa Supreme Court to Clarify Certificate of Need Requirement
Patients who sue their healthcare providers in Iowa are required to file a certificate of merit from a qualified expert who attests the provider breached the standard of care. An Iowa statute requires them to file this certificate within sixty days of the provider’s answer, but before the [...]
Nurse Practitioner Medical Malpractice: A Growing Concern for a Growing Industry
A nurse practitioner (“NP”) is a type of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (“APRN”). NPs are nurses with a graduate degree in advanced nursing. NPs are trained to diagnose illnesses, perform physical assessments, and prescribe medication (depending on state regulations) related to primary care and specialty services. This level [...]
Iowa Supreme Court Resolves Ambiguity in the State’s Certificate of Merit Statute
Just under six years have passed since Iowa enacted its medical malpractice certificate of merit requirement, codified at Iowa Code § 147.140. Iowa practitioners have paid close attention during these years as the Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court of Appeals have explored the requirement’s contours. And just [...]
The Coverup Can Be Worse Than The Crime
PLEASE! Don’t go back and change the health care records after a bad medical outcome. Jurors in Atlanta in late 2022 awarded a $75 million verdict against a pair of Georgia hospital physicians who did just that. The 32-year-old male patient was taken to the ER. It was alleged [...]
Iowa Limits Liability of Health Care Providers Fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic affected all Iowans, including those engaged in the practice of medicine. Individual practitioners bravely put themselves on the front line to combat a novel disease sweeping through Iowa. Hospitals treated more patients than they had before and worked around the clock to care for victims of [...]
Governor Reynolds Calls for Hard Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages as Iowa Legislative Session Begins
Legislators, lobbyists, and laws – Oh my! Iowa’s 2023 Legislative Session kicked off on January 10, 2023, with Governor Kim Reynolds’ Condition of the State Address. This address marks Iowa’s ceremonial start to its legislative session each year. In her address, Governor Reynolds informed Iowans about her priorities for [...]
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Experienced legal professionals discussing medical malpractice issues of interest to health care providers, risk managers, and attorneys.
