A seemingly small procedural court change made by the Civil Procedural Rules Committee of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is expected to have devastating consequences for public health in the state, according to health care advocates, but medical malpractice plaintiff attorneys are celebrating the change.
In August, the court reversed its own 20-year rule banning “venue shopping” in medical malpractice cases.
As it stands, medical malpractice lawsuits may be heard only in the county where the alleged malpractice took place. Starting in 2023, plaintiffs may sue in any Pennsylvania county where the medical system does business.
Court venues in certain cities tend to have more generous juries and, when given a choice, attorneys looking for the biggest payoff flock to those courts. The legal community tracks where the biggest awards are won….