Top malpractice insurers seek OK to reduce rates

The number of malpractice lawsuits has declined since state legislators changed the laws regarding medical malpractice lawsuits, starting in 2001, [Bill Kenney] said. He could not immediately provide the drop in the number of lawsuits. In January, the physicians' mutual raised its rates 10 perc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inKnight Ridder Tribune Business News p. 1
Main Author Finn, Scott
Format Newsletter
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Tribune Content Agency LLC 12.08.2005
Subjects
Medical malpractice
Rader, David
State court decisions
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Summary:The number of malpractice lawsuits has declined since state legislators changed the laws regarding medical malpractice lawsuits, starting in 2001, [Bill Kenney] said. He could not immediately provide the drop in the number of lawsuits. In January, the physicians' mutual raised its rates 10 percent. [David Rader] said it has taken some time for tort changes to take effect. But now, his company finally is beginning to make fewer medical malpractice payments, he said. Some insurance executives are sounding a cautious note about the medical malpractice law changes. The West Virginia Supreme Court recently ruled against two of them, said Frank O'Neil, spokesman for Woodbrook's parent company, Birmingham-based ProAssurance Inc.