Practice Areas
- Auto Accidents
- Railroad Accidents, Occupational injuries/diseases
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Wrongful Death Claims
- Surgical Errors, Medical Malpractice
- Trucking/Tractor Trailer Accidents
- General Personal Injury Claims We Handle
Firm News
- Surgeon sues his own Spinal Surgeon for Medical Malpractice, Alleges Back Surgery Medical Negligence
- Single-Vehicle Tanker Trailer Crash Kills One
- Teen Driver Killed by Garbage Truck
- I-81 Tractor Trailer Accident
- Two Williamsburg, Va., Teens Killed in Crash
- John Cooper is Elected Chair of the Railroad Law Section of the American Association for Justice
- Trucker Health Problems Could Cause Collisions
- Truckers: Know your English or Pay the Fine
- Toxic Heavy Metal in Chesapeake, VA Water?
- The Jere Beasley Report – June 2008 “Jury returns verdict of $8,000,000 for seaman”
Library
Auto Accidents
- High traffic and bad driving cause headaches and accidents
- Road Fatalities Fall as Gas Rises
- Hazardous Road Conditions in Chesapeake, Virginia (VA) Seriously Injuring Motorists
Railroad Accidents, Occupational injuries/diseases
- Train Accident in Massachusetts Caused by Speed and Possibly Cell Phone
- The Higher Duty Owed by Railroads
- What Not To Do In A Railroad Accident
Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Head injury: forgotten trauma
- Spinal cord injuries are frightening.
- Hurrican Katrina: Seventeen Months and Counting
Wrongful Death Claims
- Having A Good Support Staff Is Key To Being A Strong Personal Injury And F.E.L.A. Law Firm
- Confidentiality Agreements Keep Information About Personal Injury Settlements From The Public
- Videotaping Lay Witnesses Can Be A Powerful Settlement Tool In Personal Injury And Death Cases
Surgical Errors, Medical Malpractice
- BREAST IMPLANT CASE WINS SUPREME COURT APPEAL
- Five Tips for Choosing a Cardiologist
- Stroke Symptoms & Diagnosis
Trucking/Tractor Trailer Accidents
- FMCSA Hours of Service Regulations
- Six Things You Must Remember if You're in a Truck Accident
- Top 10 Causes of 18-Wheeler Accidents
General Personal Injury Claims We Handle
- INSURANCE COMPANIES CONTINUE TO OVERCHARGE CUSTOMERS AND UNDERPAY CLAIMS
- North Carolina's Court System
- Boating accidents and injuries in Hampton Roads, Virginia (VA)
Firm Newsletters
General
Med/Mal Crisis in Maryland? Not Really.
Earlier this year, Medical Mutual Liability Insurance Society of Maryland, the state’s largest malpractice insurer declared that it would pay a portion of its $68.6 million dividend to physicians.
Not so fast. The Maryland Insurance Administration is demanding that the entire dividend be returned to the state. Maryland is arguing that Med Mutual could have used the revenue bonus to reduce rates charged to physicians, but can not repay the physicians in the form of a dividend. If the money is to be paid out as a dividend, the state argues, it must be paid to the state.
Med Mutual filed with the insurance administration on September 12, attempting to return $32.5 million to the state and pay the rest to its doctor-members. State Insurance Commissioner Ralph Tyler froze the dividend payment pending a October 5 hearing.
Since 2005, the state of Maryland has subsidized physician payments to the mutual company because of the fear that malpractice payouts would cripple the state’s insurance system. Over the duration of the program, the state has paid over $100 million in subsidies to insurance companies.
The program was enacted after record high malpractice claims in 2003-04. However, in every year since 2003-04, malpractice claims have dropped both in Maryland and across the nation. In fact, this year, Med Mutual was able to drop its rates by 8% and still ended up with a $62 million surplus. The subsidy law specifically stated that if claims declined, then some money would need to be repaid to the state. However, the two sides disagree on how that repayment should be calculated.
Med Mutual has stated that it will be declining the $11 million subsidy this year, as well as the projected $16 million subsidy in 2008. Med Mutual insures nearly 70% of Maryland’s physicians.
All of which begs the question: Was there ever really a medical malpractice crisis in Maryland? The $62 million surplus suggests that things were never as bad as the anti-plaintiff lobby wanted the general public to believe. In the wake of the 2003-04 year, Maryland enacted several laws that restricted plaintiff’s recovery and capped the liability of negligent doctors.
Free Reports
Quick Contact
Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton, P.C.
1294 Diamond Springs Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Toll Free: (800) 752.0042
Phone: (757) 460-7776
Fax: (757) 460.3428
Case Results
Auto Accidents
- Pedestrians Stuck by Automobile Recover $540,000.00
- Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome brings verdict of $170,000.00
- Crosswalk Accident With Broken Leg Settles For $227,000.00
- Soft Tissue Injuries Caused by Auto Accident
- Serious Auto Accident Causes Death of Infant
Railroad Accidents, Occupational injuries/diseases
- Railroad-Roadway Crossing Accident - Car Passengers Injured
- FELA
- AMTRAK ENGINEER SETTLES WITH AMTRAK AND CSX OVER DERAILMENT
- Locomotive Engine Fire causes Rail Engineer right arm and wrist surgery
- Shoulder Injury requiring surgery for Locomotive Engineer
Surgical Errors, Medical Malpractice
- Gallbladder Surgery Error
- Medical Negligence
- Pharmacy-Prescription Error
- Gastric Bypass (stomach stapling) Surgery complications
- Retained Surgical Sponge and Subsequent Complications
Trucking/Tractor Trailer Accidents
- Collision Between Two Big Rigs Creates Fireball
- Automobile Accident Causing Coma and Paralysis
- Virginia Automobile Accident
- MACK truck wreck causes leg fractures
- Automobile wreck with drunk driver causes connective tissue injury
General Personal Injury Claims We Handle
- Department Store Shelf Falls on Customer
- Pilot Suffers Electrical Shock Injury At Hotel Ending Commercial Pilot’s Career--Settlement Soon Before Federal Court Jury Trial
Other
- Hotel Guest-Glass Coffee Carafe Shatters-Hand Injury
- Faulty Product - Fiberglass Stepladder Failure
- Skiing Accident
FAQs
Auto Accidents
- What should I do if I am involved in a car accident?
- I was in a car crash. How quickly do I have to find an attorney and file a lawsuit?
- What is the minimum car insurance I'm allowed to carry in my state?
- What is uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and why should I think about having it?
- Does my state have a primary enforcement law for seat belts?
Surgical Errors, Medical Malpractice
General Personal Injury Claims We Handle
General
- Do I really need a lawyer?
- Can I afford to get into a lawsuit?
- How long will the whole process take?
- What if I do not want to go to court because I am getting nervous about testifying?
- How much am I likely to recover when in court?