PROTECT CONSUMER JUSTICE.ORG

California doctors are complaining their medical malpractice insurance premiums are too high? It’s not because injured Californians seek compensation for their injuries. It’s because medical malpractice insurance companies haven’t lowered premiums anywhere near as quickly as their claims payments have dropped.

Los Angeles Times: “Toyota Motor Corp. has quietly settled a high-profile lawsuit over a fatal crash near San Diego last year that drew national attention to sudden acceleration in its vehicles and led to massive recalls,” Ken Bensinger reports.

Voir Dire is taking a little hiatus. Meanwhile, we leave you with an appropriate Warren Zevon song….

Bloomberg Markets reporter David Evans offers thorough details, after a six-month investigation, of how some insurance companies hold onto the death benefit unless requested by the beneficiary — even though the beneficiary is entitled to the entire amount right away — and those companies continue to earn interest on the benefit money until it is paid out. (UPDATE 7-29-10: New York attorney general begins investigation.)

Both cases resulted in multi-million-dollar payments to family members, and the mother of one of the victims wants to change state law to help prevent similar tragedies.

A report from the American Association for Justice shows “how corporations have evaded U.S. environmental laws for decades, only to be later held accountable and responsible for clean-up through the civil justice system.”

The Sacramento Bee’s website makes it possible to find sanctions from the Medical Board of California, as well as doctors’ felony convictions, malpractice judgments and malpractice settlements.