Florida Senate ends efforts to overturn law protecting doctors in malpractice lawsuits

The Florida Senate has effectively abandoned bipartisan efforts to overturn what critics have derided as the state’s “free kill” law, which generally prevents families from filing medical malpractice lawsuits against doctors or hospitals when the victims are adults, likely dooming the effort to change the law by the Florida Medical Rights Association, a consumer rights group. Similar efforts to overturn the law failed in the Florida Legislature last year too. Florida Politics

Illinois: State employee fired for alleged theft collected benefits after termination

A former Illinois State Police Merit Board employee who was fired by the small state agency in July 2020 for alleged felony theft, forgery and official misconduct received $71,400 in workers’ compensation and disability payments after her termination. It’s unclear why the 41-year-old woman received the benefits for more than a year based on her claim of sexual assault, even after an independent review said the assault likely did not take place. Illinois Times

Mississippi approves medical cannabis

With cannabis legalization being a new development in Mississippi, court guidance and interpretation of the act and related disability discrimination and accommodation claims will be critical, writes M. Tae Phillips of Ogletree Deakins. The state’s medical cannabis act lists 20 conditions and categories of conditions for which an individual would be eligible for a medical cannabis card, including cancer, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others. JD Supra

Michigan healthcare employees report work-related violence

Healthcare employees are four times more likely to experience significant violence than the workforce as a whole, and the problem is compounded by the fact that hospitals are required to treat anyone seeking medical care, even those who have been violent with staff. Lansing, Michigan-area healthcare employees are asking state legislators to do something about the workplace violence they are experiencing. A veteran emergency room technician says two weeks ago, a patient punched her several times in the face and stabbed a doctor who tried to help her.  Fox47