H.R. 5690: Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010

111th Congress · introduced 2010-07-01 · Law · Latest: Referred to House Energy and Commerce

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-07-01 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Gingrey, Phil [R-GA-11] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to House Energy and Commerce Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010

Plain summary

Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010 - Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims related to the provision of health care goods or services. Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of the manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions. Caps the amount of noneconomic damages at $350,000 if a claimant rejects a settlement that meets certain criteria. Prohibits a provider of collateral source benefits from recovering any amount from an award in a health care lawsuit involving injury or wrongful death. Makes a benevolent gesture or admission of fault that is made by a health care provider or employee to the claimant or the claimant's relative or representative inadmissible as evidence of an admission of liability or an admission against interest. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility. Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is otherwise permitted by applicable state or federal law; (2) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (3) compensatory damages are awarded. Provides for periodic payment of future damages. Prohibits a health care provider from being named as a party to a product liability lawsuit for prescribing or dispensing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medical product. Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Gingrey, Phil [R-GA-11] · 29 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tom Cole (R-OK), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Robert E. Latta (R-OH)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111hr5690.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hr>

Record fed-us-cong111-hr5690 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111