Indiana Department of Insurance v. Everhart

SHEPARD, Chief Justice.

Robin Everhart filed suit against the Indiana Patient’s Compensation Fund (PCF) to recover excess damages after settling a wrongful death claim against an emergency room physician in whose care her husband died. The PCF asked the trial court to reduce its award of damages to account for the twenty percent chance that Robin’s husband would have died anyway, even in the absence of the physician’s negligence. The trial court declined to do so, awarding Robin the statutory maximum $1 million in excess damages. We affirm, but on slightly different grounds.

Facts and…