The AAJ, citing the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, reported today that ” The House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill to give active duty members of the military the right to file medical malpractice suits against the government. In a 14-12 vote along strict party lines, the Democratic controlled panel Wednesday sent the bill to the full House where supporters contend the measure to repeal the so-called Feres Doctrine stands a good chance of winning approval. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-NY), whose subcommittee backed the bill, said eliminating the lawsuit ban was a question of fundamental fairness. “

State audit finds delay in nursing home fines
The New York State Health Department is the state agency responsible for imposing fines on nursing homes when safety violations occur. In 2007, the average time to issue a fine was six months. Currently, it takes the State Health Department an average of four years to levy a