Profession
Ohio court gives parents more time to file lawsuits in medical liability
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 23, 2007
A unanimous Ohio Supreme Court decision gives parents more time to file a lawsuit against a doctor for damages parents allegedly suffer after a medical injury to their child, such as loss of companionship or medical expenses. But experts say the ruling is unlikely to increase claims against physicians.
Parents previously had one year from the time the injury was discovered to sue.
The March ruling extends that window up to the child's 19th birthday. By allowing the separate claims to come at the same time, "piecemeal litigation and its inherent problems can be avoided," such as potentially conflicting results, the high court opinion states.
Ohio State Medical Assn. General Counsel Almeta Cooper said that the ruling in Fehrenbach v. O'Malley is unlikely to increase the number of lawsuits brought against doctors because claims can essentially be consolidated. However, it does expand the length of time that families have to file suit.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/04/23/prbf0423.htm.
