Iowa State House Represenatives Approve Certificate of Merit for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

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The Iowa House of Represenatives has done what their colleagues from 24 other states have already done-approve legislation that would require a “certificate of merit” within 6 months for each expert that will testify in a medical malpractice lawsuit. One legislator aptly termed the bill “legislation in search of a problem”.
However, the Iowa bill reflects a certain prejudice against consumers that can be found in numerous parts of the country. In spite of the overwhelming evidence of the unfettered increase in medical errors, there is still the persistent prejudice of the so-called “frivolous lawsuit”.
Some astute politcal theorists have written books about this phenomenon. George Lakoff, a University of California professor of cognitive linguistics is perhaps one of the better known academicians to have written about this phenomenon and how it affects the very fabric of our culture.
At any rate, Iowa has just made it more burdensome for the ordinary American to seek justice in a civil court of law.

Kevin Dugan
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