LD 1378
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LD 1378 Title Page An Act To Preserve the Medical Liability Climate in the State by Capping Noneco... Page 2 of 4
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LR 1575
Item 1

 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

 
Sec. 1. 14 MRSA §156, as amended by PL 1999, c. 63, §1 and affected
by §3, is repealed.

 
Sec. 2. 14 MRSA §156-A is enacted to read:

 
§156-A. Comparative negligence

 
When a person suffers death or damage as a result partly of
that person's own fault and partly of the fault of any other
person or persons, a claim in respect of that death or damage may
not be defeated by reason of the fault of the person suffering
the damage, but the damages recoverable in respect thereof must
be reduced to such extent as the jury thinks just and equitable
having regard to the claimant's share in the responsibility for
the damage.

 
When damages are recoverable by a person by virtue of this
section, subject to such reduction as is mentioned, the court
shall instruct the jury to find and record the total damages that
would have been recoverable if the claimant had not been at
fault, and further instruct the jury to reduce the total damages
by dollars and cents, and not by percentage, to the extent
considered just and equitable, having regard to the claimant's
share in the responsibility for the damages, and instruct the
jury to return both amounts with the knowledge that the lesser
figure is the final verdict in the case.

 
As used in this section, "fault" means negligence, breach of
statutory duty or other act or omission that gives rise to a
liability in tort or would, apart from this section, give rise to
the defense of contributory negligence.

 
If a claimant is found by the jury to be equally at fault, the
claimant may not recover.

 
In a case involving multiparty defendants, the liability of
each defendant for damages is several only and not joint except
as otherwise provided in this section.__Each defendant is liable
only for the amount of damages allocated to that defendant in
direct proportion to that defendant's percentage of fault.__A
party is responsible for the fault of another person, or for
payment of the proportionate share of another person, if:

 
1.__Actions in concert.__Both the party and the other person
were acting in concert; or

 
2.__Agent or servant.__The other person was acting as an agent
or servant of the party.


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