Patient Safety | 03.14.23
Philly’s Medical Malpractice Cases Are Surging Since a New State Rule Went Into Effect
by Philadelphia Inquirer
For the first time in two decades, Pennsylvania's medical malpractice lawsuits this year can be filed in counties other than the one where the injury happened. Statistics kept by the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts show that Philadelphia juries tend to decide medical malpractice cases in favor of plaintiffs three times more often than Montgomery juries. As a result, Philadelphia is viewed as a more promising venue for a lawsuit. Attorney Julianna Burdo, who practices with the Philadelphia firm Wapner Newman, says the rule change "provides us with venue options that didn't exist before." The number of medical malpractice cases filed in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas nearly tripled in January and last month after the rule change went into effect versus the same two months in 2022, according to data from that court.
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