New law would allow hospital apologies

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - In the wake of the Michael Woods wrongful death lawsuit filed against Kent Hosptial, a Rhode Island lawmaker is introducing a bill that would make it easier for medical facilities to apologize for mistakes, without automatically facing legal repercussions.

James Woods told reporters all he needed following the death of his brother Michael at Kent Hospital was a sincere apology from the center's medical staff, but doctors are often advised by legal representatives that saying sorry could be seen as an admission of guilt, leading to a lawsuit.

Warwick Representative Joe McNamara is pushing the law because he believes it would not only comfort patients' families, but that it could also save money by cutting down on expensive legal proceedings.

McNamara's plan would make apologies inadmissable in court but the measure was previously scrapped last year over concerns that apologies would be made strategically to help exclude other damaging evidence. In response to those concerns McNamara says the bill strictly defines what constitutes an apology.

This new law would be the first of its kind in the nation. In Michigan lawmakers have instituted a similar policy change that has significantly lowered lawsuits, down from 260 in 2001 to only 83 in 2003.