The Speaker of the Missouri House is pushing lawmakers to restore caps on damages in medical malpractice lawsuits.
Missouri law created a $350,000 cap on non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. But that cap was tossed out in 2012 by the Missouri Supreme Court.
House Speaker Tim Jones says without the cap, millions of dollars could be shifted from patient care to legal defense costs.
“Unless we act, we’re encouraging health care costs to increase, as many of our best doctors, nurses, and health care providers inevitably flee our state and simply walk across the border,” said Jones.
The Missouri House passed a malpractice cap bill last year, but it died in the Senate. Opponents say restoring caps would protect insurance companies at the expense of medical malpractice victims.
Two measures that would restore caps have been filed so far in the Missouri House.
