Wisconsin’s Senate passed a major medical malpractice bill this January that allows parents to recover for the loss of an adult child due to alleged medical malpractice.

The bill has now advanced to the Assembly for a vote. If successful in being passed, the bill can also apply to the reverse, i.e. an adult child may also receive compensation for the loss of a parent due to medical malpractice.

At the moment, these suits are impossible. This means that if a widow or widower without a minor child dies due to medical malpractice, nobody can bring a claim for it.

Originally, the bill was sponsored by the Senate Judiciary Committee in September, 2009. An additional reform proposal is expected to be voted on in the Senate soon, which would remove the current 180-day deadline for potential medical malpractice suits against state-run facilities and extend that period to a three year statute of limitations. This would make the period in which claims could be filed against state-run institutions consistent with the period allowed after injury to file a claim against private facilities.

If you are interested in finding out more about medical malpractice law in New Jersey, contact the New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers of Levinson & Axelrod by calling 800-346-5529.