Bill Text: MO HB112 | 2013 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Establishes a statutory cause of action, replacing the common law action, for damages against a health care provider for personal injury arising out of the rendering of or failure to render health care services
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-04-30 - Placed on Informal Calendar - SA 2 Pending [HB112 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2013-HB112-Engrossed.html
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
[PERFECTED]
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES BURLISON (Sponsor), JONES (110), DIEHL, MOLENDORP, MORRIS, RICHARDSON, SMITH (120), FREDERICK, LANT, ALLEN, BRATTIN, GOSEN, BAHR, SCHATZ, COOKSON, STREAM, KOENIG, KELLEY (127) AND PHILLIPS (Co-sponsors).
0603L.01P D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 1.010 and 538.210, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to claims arising out of the rendering of or failure to render health care services.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 1.010 and 538.210, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 1.010 and 538.210, to read as follows:
1.010. The common law of England and all statutes and acts of parliament made prior to the fourth year of the reign of James the First, of a general nature, which are not local to that kingdom and not repugnant to or inconsistent with the Constitution of the United States, the constitution of this state, or the statute laws in force for the time being, are the rule of action and decision in this state, any custom or usage to the contrary notwithstanding, but no act of the general assembly or law of this state shall be held to be invalid, or limited in its scope or effect by the courts of this state, for the reason that it is in derogation of, or in conflict with, the common law, or with such statutes or acts of parliament; but all acts of the general assembly, or laws, shall be liberally construed, so as to effectuate the true intent and meaning thereof. The general assembly expressly excludes from this section the common law of England as it relates to claims arising out of the rendering or failure to render health care services by a health care provider, with it being the intent of the general assembly to replace such claims with statutory causes of action.
538.210. 1. A statutory cause of action for damages against a health care provider for personal injury or death arising out of the rendering of or failure to render health services is hereby created, replacing any such common law cause of action. The elements of such cause of action are that the health care provider failed to use that degree of skill and learning ordinarily used under the same or similar circumstances by similarly situated health care providers and that such failure proximately caused injury or death.
2. In any action against a health care provider for damages for personal injury or death arising out of the rendering of or the failure to render health care services, no plaintiff shall recover more than three hundred fifty thousand dollars for noneconomic damages irrespective of the number of defendants.
[2.] 3. (1) Such limitation shall also apply to any individual or entity, or their employees or agents that provide, refer, coordinate, consult upon, or arrange for the delivery of health care services to the plaintiff; and
(2) Who is a defendant in a lawsuit brought against a health care provider under this chapter, or who is a defendant in any lawsuit that arises out of the rendering of or the failure to render health care services.
(3) No individual or entity whose liability is limited by the provisions of this chapter shall be liable to any plaintiff based on the actions or omissions of any other entity or person who is not an employee of such individual or entity whose liability is limited by the provisions of this chapter.
Such limitation shall apply to all claims for contribution.
[3.] 4. In any action against a health care provider for damages for personal injury or death arising out of the rendering of or the failure to render health care services, where the trier of fact is a jury, such jury shall not be instructed by the court with respect to the limitation on an award of noneconomic damages, nor shall counsel for any party or any person providing testimony during such proceeding in any way inform the jury or potential jurors of such limitation.
[4.] 5. For purposes of sections 538.205 to 538.230, any spouse claiming damages for loss of consortium of their spouse shall be considered to be the same plaintiff as their spouse.
[5.] 6. Any provision of law or court rule to the contrary notwithstanding, an award of punitive damages against a health care provider governed by the provisions of sections 538.205 to 538.230 shall be made only upon a showing by a plaintiff that the health care provider demonstrated willful, wanton or malicious misconduct with respect to his actions which are found to have injured or caused or contributed to cause the damages claimed in the petition.
[6.] 7. For purposes of sections 538.205 to 538.230, all individuals and entities asserting a claim for a wrongful death under section 537.080 shall be considered to be one plaintiff.
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