A jury in Waupun, Wisconsin awarded $8 Million in total damages, of which $4 Million were non-economic (pain, suffering, and loss of consortium). Fortunately for the Plaintiff, this is the first verdict in a Medical Malpractice case since the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the Medical Malpractice Caps on Damages last July. Under the previous Caps on Damages Law, the plaintiff and her husband would have only received $445,000 of the $4 Million awarded by the jury, along with the $4 Million in economic losses of medical bills and lost wages.
The Plaintiff has been on a feeding tube since 2000 when her acid reflux surgery was botched, severing the nerves which are vital to the functions of her stomach and intestines.
Naturally, the Wisconsin Hospital Association immediately urged lawmakers to renew the caps. Our Jury System is the best judicial system in the world. Caps hurt the plaintiffs and families of victims who have already suffered catastrophic injuries from the defendant's negligence. Caps do not reduce the premiums of doctors and benefit only one specific entity - Insurance Companies. Fight the Big Lie and leave our juries alone.