Ten years after the state Supreme Court instituted changes in how and where medical malpractice cases could be filed, the number of cases filed and the number of verdicts issued has declined.
Currently, cases must be certified as having potential merit before they are filed.  Also, plaintiffs must file in the county where the alleged malpractice occurred.  Previously, those with weaker cases often filed in counties where juries are considered more lenient.
Read more about how and why in this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette articleBookshelf with law books.