Medical Liability Lawsuits Skyrocket as Pennsylvania Reverses Course on Venue Shopping
January 31, 2022
“Venue shopping” is allowed again in Pennsylvania.
Updating a story we told you about last summer, the Pennsylvania high court changed a two-decades old rule that had required medical liability cases to be filed in the county where the alleged harm occurred.
The new venue rules went into effect January 1 and, so far, lawyers have filed more medical liability lawsuits in the first 20 days of 2023 in Philadelphia than were filed in any other single month in the past six years. As expected, plaintiffs and their lawyers are seeking county courts (“venues”) in Pennsylvania where jurors are considered more sympathetic to plaintiffs and have routinely produced larger verdicts, such as Philadelphia.
This is bad news for healthcare professionals and facilities as plaintiffs can sue in counties even if no care was provided there.
“Venue shopping” is allowed again in Pennsylvania.
Updating a story we told you about last summer, the Pennsylvania high court changed a two-decades old rule that had required medical liability cases to be filed in the county where the alleged harm occurred.
The new venue rules went into effect January 1 and, so far, lawyers have filed more medical liability lawsuits in the first 20 days of 2023 in Philadelphia than were filed in any other single month in the past six years. As expected, plaintiffs and their lawyers are seeking county courts (“venues”) in Pennsylvania where jurors are considered more sympathetic to plaintiffs and have routinely produced larger verdicts, such as Philadelphia.
This is bad news for healthcare professionals and facilities as plaintiffs can sue in counties even if no care was provided there.