WASHINGTON — On Friday, a Kansas Supreme Court ruling upheld the limit on economic damages that can be awarded to medical malpractice victims, a $250,000 cap for pain and suffering, as constitutional. Congresswoman Jenkins released the following statement about the decision:

“We should not belittle the pain and suffering imposed upon victims of medical malpractice, particularly those that suffer life-changing consequences. However, it is no secret that medical malpractice lawsuits result in higher insurance premiums for doctors. We need a cap on economic damages to help control how these lawsuits contribute to the rising cost of health care in this country, and I support comprehensive medical liability reform in order to do that.

“Determining the constitutionality of the cap, not the dollar amount, is the job of the Supreme Court. It is the role of the state legislature to determine whether the dollar amount for the cap makes sense, and we should leave that decision to them.”

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