Bill Text: CT HB06393 | 2013 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Professional Standard Of Care For Emergency Medical Care Providers.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-07 - Public Hearing 03/15 [HB06393 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2013-HB06393-Introduced.html

---

General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 6393
January Session, 2013		LCO No. 2981
		*02981_______PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARD OF CARE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE PROVIDERS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 52-184c of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):

(a) (1) In any civil action to recover damages resulting from personal injury or wrongful death occurring on or after October 1, 1987, in which it is alleged that such injury or death resulted from the negligence of a health care provider, as defined in section 52-184b, the claimant shall have the burden of proving by the preponderance of the evidence that the alleged actions of the health care provider represented a breach of the prevailing professional standard of care for that health care provider.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, in any civil action to recover damages resulting from personal injury or wrongful death occurring on or after October 1, 2013, in which it is alleged that such injury or death resulted from the negligence of a health care provider, as defined in section 52-184b, in the course of providing treatment to a patient in a hospital emergency department, the claimant shall have the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the alleged actions of the health care provider represented a breach of the prevailing professional standard of care for that health care provider.

(3) The prevailing professional standard of care for a given health care provider shall be that level of care, skill and treatment which, in light of all relevant surrounding circumstances, is recognized as acceptable and appropriate by reasonably prudent similar health care providers.

(b) If the defendant health care provider is not certified by the appropriate American board as being a specialist, is not trained and experienced in a medical specialty, or does not hold himself out as a specialist, a "similar health care provider" is one who: (1) Is licensed by the appropriate regulatory agency of this state or another state requiring the same or greater qualifications; and (2) is trained and experienced in the same discipline or school of practice and such training and experience shall be as a result of the active involvement in the practice or teaching of medicine within the five-year period before the incident giving rise to the claim.

(c) If the defendant health care provider is certified by the appropriate American board as a specialist, is trained and experienced in a medical specialty, or holds himself out as a specialist, a "similar health care provider" is one who: (1) Is trained and experienced in the same specialty; and (2) is certified by the appropriate American board in the same specialty; provided if the defendant health care provider is providing treatment or diagnosis for a condition which is not within his specialty, a specialist trained in the treatment or diagnosis for that condition shall be considered a "similar health care provider".

(d) Any health care provider may testify as an expert in any action if he: (1) Is a "similar health care provider" pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this section; or (2) is not a similar health care provider pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this section but, to the satisfaction of the court, possesses sufficient training, experience and knowledge as a result of practice or teaching in a related field of medicine, so as to be able to provide such expert testimony as to the prevailing professional standard of care in a given field of medicine. Such training, experience or knowledge shall be as a result of the active involvement in the practice or teaching of medicine within the five-year period before the incident giving rise to the claim.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2013	52-184c

Statement of Purpose:

To provide that a claimant in a medical malpractice action establish the negligence of a health care provider, who provided treatment in a hospital emergency department, by clear and convincing evidence.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]