Florida Trying to Place Caps on Medical Malpractice

The Maher Law Firm attorneys Jason Fraxedas and Steve Maher, along with other attorneys across the state, were in Tallahassee las week at the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, strongly urging Senators to reject an amendment that would greatly harm Floridians. The amendment would put a cap on financial damages harmed patients could seek when hospitals cause harm. By putting a cap on these damages, lawmakers risk insulating hospital chains and insurance companies from taking responsibility for their actions.

This is alarming because it compromises patient safety. Without the fear of substantial financial consequences, there's a risk that healthcare providers may not prioritize the highest standards of care. Patients deserve assurance that their well-being is the top priority, and caps on damages could undermine this fundamental principle.

We were proud of our client who bravely stood before the committee to discuss their heart-wrenching story about how their baby girl was harmed by medical negligence.

"I want to introduce you to our daughter, Mattie Jaymes. She is 13 months and one of the most innocent little angles on earth. She probably reminds many of you of your children or grand children. But Mattie is very different—and always will be. As you can see, Mattie is losing her fingers on her left hand. She was born with two healthy hands; she didn’t have an accident. She was under medical care in the hospital for a completely unrelated issue, when circulation got cut off due to medical negligence. And her hand is going to be lost. On Christmas morning, Mattie’s sister and I had to remove her thumb that was dangling from cartilage for fear that she would choke on her own finger and die. Her other fingers will fall of one by one. There isn’t a day that goes by that Mattie’s mother and I are not reminded of all the things Mattie won’t have. She won’t play basketball like her mother or trumpet like me or piano like her brother. She won’t, when she gets married, have a finger for her loved one to put a ring on. And she will always be known as the girl with one hand to other children. Let me just say this. Mattie’s got 100 years in her life span; 82 years as a Florida voter. A $500,000 cap is about a latte a day for her life.”