Laws pertaining to personal injury litigation are frequently subject to change, and this has recently proved especially true in Missouri.
A Missouri law enacted last year sets a limit on certain damages that can be collected from medical malpractice cases. Under the law, noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering are capped at $400,000. Catastrophic damages such as paralysis, vision loss and brain injury are capped at $700,000. Economic damages, such as medical cost and lost wages, are not affected by the limits.
Damage caps have been a controversial topic in Missouri. Prior to the limits signed into law last year, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled a 2005 law setting a flat $350,000 cap on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases was unconstitutional.
Nationwide, up to 98,000 patients die annually in hospitals due to medical malpractice, costing between $17 billion and $29 billion dollars a year.
Eason Law Firm has handled medical malpractice cases in Missouri and Illinois for more than a decade. We stay on top of laws concerning damage caps, statutes of limitation and other aspects of medical malpractice litigation so that our clients receive outstanding representation. If you feel you have been provided substandard care or services by a doctor or other health care professional, contact Eason Law Firm today for a free consultation.