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On Wednesday, March 30th, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell used his veto power to strike down a widely supported bill that seeks to raise the damages cap on medical malpractice cases from $2 million to $3 million. It would increase the amount by $50,000 every year until 2031, giving an incremental approach to an issue that has long been discussed by attorneys, lawmakers and the medical community.
The biggest issue with this veto? McDonnell has vetoed a bill that had near unanimous support in Virginia’s congress along with the complete backing of both the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the Medical Society of Virginia.
That’s right. Both the lawyers and doctors came together to support a bill that would raise the amount that can be recovered by medical malpractice victims.
This bit of political posturing by McDonnell is likely a move to save face on the national scene in the event he wishes to run for higher office someday. Of course, the veto will be overridden after the Virginia house and senate reconvene, but McDonnell will be prepared to avoid a situation like Mitt Romney’s, who has come under fire for his support of mandatory health care when he was governor of Massachusetts.
Just two weeks ago, How Law Works discussed the issue of tort reform and we now have a timely example for you. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
