Virginia Medical Malpractice Victims Now Entitled to More Hospital Information

Medical malpractice victims in Virginia will soon be entitled to more information about their case from the hospitals thanks to a revised piece of legislation in the Virginia House.  It will put more knowledge in the hands of patients who have suffered from medical malpractice, allowing them to fully understand what happened to them while in the care of a hospital or particular medical professional.

For years, hospitals have been able to hide behind a statute that allowed them to hold on to privileged information and keep it out of the hands of the victim and his or her attorneys.  In the past, hospitals would gather witnesses together after an incident in order to conduct a quality control panel.  This would ensure that Virginia hospitals could avoid making similar mistakes in the future, certainly a boon for patients.  However, the information in these meetings did not have to be disclosed.  The participants' recorded statements, fresh off the incident, would not necessarily be made available to those who needed it.

Virginia House Bill 2373 aims to allow access to previously privileged documents without compromising the need for in-house evaluation.  Attorneys for the injured patient will be able to learn the pertinent facts of a case from valuable witnesses.

The access to valuable information for Virginia medical malpractice victims sets a positive precedent for future malpractice cases and potential further legislation regarding the release of information to patients.

Contacting a Fairfax Personal Injury Attorney

You don't have to deal with insurance companies and paperwork alone when you're looking to file a Virginia personal injury claim. Fairfax personal injury attorney Ben Glass fights to help victims in the Virginia and D.C. areas settle their personal injury claims.

Before you go any further with your decision, order a copy of my complimentary guide to Virginia personal injury claims, Five Deadly Sins That Can Wreck Your Injury Claim. To set up a no-cost consultation, contact me today - 703-591-9829.