Section 519-B:1 Findings, Purpose, and Intent. - New Hampshire Statutes

   I. Availability and affordability of insurance against liability for medical injury is essential for the protection of patients as well as assuring availability of and access to essential medical and hospital care. This chapter affirms the intent of the general court to contain the costs of the medical injury reparations system and to promote availability and affordability of insurance against liability for medical injury. Claims for medical injury should be resolved as early and inexpensively as possible to contain system costs. Claims that are resolved before court determination cost less to resolve than claims that must be resolved by a court. Meritorious claims should be identified as quickly as possible, as should non-meritorious claims. Defendants should consider paying or compromising meritorious claims and plaintiffs should consider withdrawing or compromising non-meritorious claims, as soon as the merits of the claims are known to the parties. Presentation of claims to a medical review panel is intended to help identify both meritorious and non-meritorious claims without the delay and expense of a court trial. It is essential to the effectiveness of the panel process that panel proceedings be confidential unless and until a matter heard by a panel proceeds to trial. It is equally essential to the effectiveness of the panel process that a panel's unanimous findings be presented to the jury in any matter that is not resolved prior to trial. The panel process will encourage the prompt resolution of claims, because both sides will be given an objective view of the merits. If the panel finds that a claim has merit, the defendant will be more likely to pay the claim or negotiate a compromise that is favorable to the claimant. If the panel finds that the claim lacks merit, the claimant is more likely to withdraw the claim or accept a nominal settlement.
   II. The purposes of pretrial screening panels are:
      (a) To identify claims of professional negligence which merit compensation and to encourage early resolution of those claims prior to commencement of a lawsuit; and
      (b) To identify claims of professional negligence and to encourage early withdrawal or dismissal of non-meritorious claims.

Source. 2005, 197:1, eff. Aug. 29, 2005.