Firm Will Probe Nevada Malpractice Claims

A Nevada legislative subcommittee has agreed to pay an Irvine firm $100,000 to review 4,000 medical malpractice claims filed against Nevada doctors over the last 12 years.

Milliman & Robertson Inc., must provide results of its study by Sept. 1. The study stemmed from debate between doctors and lawyers during the 1995 Legislature over the impact of unnecessary malpractice lawsuits on medical costs.

Earlier this month, the Doctors Co., which provides malpractice insurance for most doctors in Nevada, asked the state insurance commissioner to approve a 24% rate hike, which would boost the cost of a basic $1-million malpractice policy to $21,389 a year.