As reported in more detail on our child safety blog, New York state has created a new fund to pay medical expenses for infants who suffer brain and nerve damage because of medical malpractice and other medical errors.
The fund, which is due to go into effect on Oct. 1, 2011, allows medical costs to be provided on a yearly basis to injured children. Parents can still pursue medical malpractice actions on the basis of emotional distress and other harms.
Fortunately for the babies, a part of the proposal that would have put an arbitrary and low ceiling of $250,000 on the amount recoverable for intangible injuries was dropped from the final legislation.
Source: New York Law Journal