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Home » US Law » 2022 West Virginia Code » Chapter 55. Actions, Suits and Arbitration; Judicial Sale » Article 7B. Medical Professional Liability » §55-7B-9c. Limit on Liability for Treatment of Emergency Conditions for Which Patient Is Admitted to a Designated Trauma Center; Exceptions; Emergency Rules

(a) In any action brought under this article for injury to or death of a patient as a result of health care services or assistance rendered in good faith and necessitated by an emergency condition for which the patient enters a health care facility designated by the Office of Emergency Medical Services as a trauma center, including health care services or assistance rendered in good faith by a licensed emergency medical services authority or agency, certified emergency medical service personnel or an employee of a licensed emergency medical services authority or agency, the total amount of civil damages recoverable may not exceed $500,000, for each occurrence, exclusive of interest computed from the date of judgment, and regardless of the number of plaintiffs or the number of defendants or, in the case of wrongful death, regardless of the number of distributees.

(b) On January 1, 2016, and in each year thereafter, the limitation on the total amount of civil damages contained in subsection (a) of this section shall increase to account for inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index published by the United States Department of Labor: Provided, That increases on the limitation of damages shall not exceed one hundred fifty percent of the amounts specified in said subsection.

(c) Beginning July 1, 2016, a plaintiff who, as a result of an injury suffered prior to or after said date, suffers or has suffered economic damages, as determined by the trier of fact or the agreement of the parties, in excess of the limitation of liability in section (a) of this section and for whom recovery from the Patient Injury Compensation Fund is precluded pursuant to section one, article twelve-d, chapter twenty-nine of this code may recover additional economic damages of up to $1 million. This amount is not subject to the adjustment for inflation set forth in subsection (b) of this section.

(b)(d) The limitation of liability in subsection (a) of this section also applies to any act or omission of a health care provider in rendering continued care or assistance in the event that surgery is required as a result of the emergency condition within a reasonable time after the patient's condition is stabilized.

(c)(e) The limitation on liability provided under subsection (a) of this section does not apply to any act or omission in rendering care or assistance which:

(1) Occurs after the patient's condition is stabilized and the patient is capable of receiving medical treatment as a nonemergency patient; or