The Louisiana state legislature is close to passing a package of bills that would protect medical professionals from lawsuits arising from care delivered during declared emergencies. Two of the bills are inspired and backed by Dr. Anna Pou, the New Orleans doctor who was accused of euthanizing patients after Hurricane Katrina [1]. (Pou still faces civil suits related to the deaths in question.) The bills would provide protection against lawsuits for paid medical professionals who aren't covered under the existing Good Samaritan Act, which offers immunity from civil lawsuits for providers who voluntarily offer care to an emergency victim in need. This immunity would protect medical personnel from suits relating to simple negligence, but would still leave room for suits related to gross negligence. The protection would apply only to individual workers, not only to owners of medical facilities.
To learn more about the bills in question:
- read this item [2] from The Times-Picayune
Related Articles:
Jury refuses to indict New Orleans physician [1]
Louisiana doctor targeted by state files lawsuit against AG [3]
Tenet cleared of wrongdoing during Katrina [4]
Case dropped against New Orleans nurses [5]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/jury-refuses-indict-new-orleans-physician/2007-07-25
[2] http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1211260934247440.xml&coll=1
[3] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/louisiana-doctor-targeted-state-files-lawsuit-against-ag/2007-07-17
[4] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/tenet-cleared-of-wrongdoing-during-katrina/2006-03-16
[5] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/case-dropped-against-new-orleans-nurses/2007-07-05