| You may have seen articles and news
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| | Myths of Washington State's Medical
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| stories claiming that "runaway jury
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| | Malpractice "Crisis") include:
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| awards" and "greedy trial lawyers" are
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| | * The number of medical malpractice
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| causing medical malpractice premiums to
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| | payments made on behalf of Washington
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| skyrocket, thereby driving doctors out of
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| | doctors declined 35.6 percent between
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| Washington State. Doctors around the
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| | 1999 and 2004.
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| state are "demanding" that our two
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| | * There was a 42.2 percent drop in the
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| Senators and state legislators enact
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| | total value of Washington doctors'
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| "caps" on jury verdicts to prevent
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| | medical malpractice payments between 1997
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| malpractice relates from rising. THESE
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| | and 2004, when adjusted for medical
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| CLAIMS ARE FALSE.
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| | inflation. The inflation-adjusted peak in
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| A number of studies reveal the
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| | 1997 was $50.7 million, compared with
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| truth---that caps on damages DO NOT
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| | $29.3 million in 2004. The drop between
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| reduce insurance premiums. Caps on
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| | 2002 and 2004 was 30.6 percent.
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| damages only restrict the rights of
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| | The number of million-dollar payments has
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| patients who have been seriously injured
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| | declined from a high of 10 in 1997 to two
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| at the hands of a negligent physician.
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| | in 2004; jury verdicts have remained flat
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| Most insurers continue to increase
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| | at about 3.2 percent of all payments
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| malpractice premiums at a rapid pase,
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| | since 1991.
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| regardless of damage caps on medical
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| | * Rather than providing windfalls to
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| malpractice lawsuits.
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| | patients with minor injuries, Washington
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| Over the past year and a half, Texas,
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| | doctors' malpractice payments
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| Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, Mississippi and
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| | overwhelmingly benefit those most
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| Nevada have tried to solve their state's
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| | seriously injured by doctors. The most
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| insurance problems by limiting injured
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| | serious cases account for 84.9 percent of
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| consumers' right to sue in court
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| | all payments made, compared to only 15.1
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| (so-called "tort reform"). It has failed
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| | percent of all payments for minor
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| every time. The reason is: the causes and
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| | injuries.
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| solutions to insurance problems lie with
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| | * The population-adjusted number of
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| the insurance industry, not the legal
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| | malpractice filings is down 23.1 percent
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| system.
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| | since 1995, dropping from 9.41 per
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| The number and value of medical
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| | 100,000 people in 1995 to 7.24 in 2004.
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| malpractice payments made to patients on
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| | Malpractice payouts attributable to
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| behalf of Washington doctors have
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| | obstetrics cases ' doctors say OBs are
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| declined significantly, according to an
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| | among the hardest hit by lawsuits ' are
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| analysis of federal government
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| | down significantly. The number of
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| information released today by the
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| | payments attributable to OB cases fell
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| national consumer group Public Citizen.
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| | 25.4 percent between 1994 and 2004, while
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| Key findings in the Public Citizen report
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| | the value plummeted by 65.9 percent.
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| (Fewer Lawsuits and More Doctors: The
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