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HR 5690 111th Congress House

Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010

Official title: To improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health … Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system, and for other purposes.

Introduced: July 1, 2010 See on congress.gov
Law Civil actions and liabilityEvidence and witnessesHealth care qualityHealth facilities and institutions
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Health personnelJudicial procedure and administrationPrescription drugsProduct safety and quality
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 1, 2010
Referred to House Energy and Commerce
Jul 1, 2010
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jul 1, 2010
Referred to House Judiciary
Jul 1, 2010
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 1, 2010

Referred to House Energy and Commerce

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010 - Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims related to the provision of health care goods or services.

Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of the manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions.

Caps the amount of noneconomic damages at $350,000 if a claimant rejects a settlement that meets certain criteria.

Prohibits a provider of collateral source benefits from recovering any amount from an award in a health care lawsuit involving injury or wrongful death.

Makes a benevolent gesture or admission of fault that is made by a health care provider or employee to the claimant or the claimant's relative or representative inadmissible as evidence of an admission of liability or an admission against interest.

Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility.

Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is otherwise permitted by applicable state or federal law; (2) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (3) compensatory damages are awarded.

Provides for periodic payment of future damages.

Prohibits a health care provider from being named as a party to a product liability lawsuit for prescribing or dispensing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medical product.

Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5690: Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5690/
MLA
"H.R. 5690: Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5690/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5690, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5690/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5690: Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5690/)
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