Two legal rule changes have reduced the number of malpractice cases filed in Pennsylvania
“The state Supreme Court initiated a certificate of merit and a new venue rule in 2003. The certificate of merit requires attorneys to find an expert to certify that a malpractice case is justified. The goal of the certificate is to prevent frivolous lawsuits. The venue rule requires attorneys to file a case in the county where the incident occurred, instead of where the hospital system is based. Critics had argued that lawyers stretched the rule so they could argue cases in Philadelphia County, where jury awards were among the highest in the nation.”
