Emergency Care Liability Relief Act

H.R. 4993, the Emergency Care Liability Relief Act, proposes to limit the amount of money patients can recover for non-financial losses—such as pain and suffering or punitive damages—in lawsuits involving uncompensated emergency medical care. The bill also introduces a "loser pays" system for legal fees, meaning the party that loses the case could be required to pay the winner’s attorney fees and court costs. Additionally, it would require judges to instruct juries to consider how their damage awards might impact the overall cost and availability of medical malpractice insurance.