OXFORD, Miss., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard F. Scruggs, a lead attorney in the national class action litigation commenced on June 17, 2004 against nonprofit hospital systems and hospitals for their highly improper and discriminatory practices with respect to uninsured patients, today announced that the litigation is launching a second major legal offensive through the filing of class action lawsuits in state courts. This second legal front will be waged on a parallel track to the legal actions now underway in federal courts against the same nonprofit hospitals and will include new state lawsuits against nonprofit hospitals who have not yet been named in the litigation.
At present, the litigation against nonprofit hospital systems and hospitals names a total of 68 cases in 23 states, involving 60 nonprofit hospital systems. Of these cases, 43 are pending in federal courts and 25 are in state courts.
Mr. Scruggs stated, “The more we pursue our litigation against the defendant nonprofit hospitals, the more disturbing the crime scene becomes. It is clear to us that the wrongdoings the defendant nonprofit hospital systems and hospitals are perpetrating on the uninsured involve clear violations of both federal and state laws. Accordingly, we will now vigorously move against nonprofit hospital violators in the state courts in addition to federal venues.
“Under state laws, uninsured patients have been victimized by nonprofit hospitals, through illegal acts in areas such as consumer fraud; breach of contract; deceptive business practices; unfair and predatory debt collection practices; and breach of usury limits, to name a few. For years, these wrongdoers have tried to stay under the radar screen of justice through different community public relations ploys while engaging in schemes to enrich themselves and their managements at the expense of the very communities they allegedly serve and particularly off the backs of uninsured patients. As we peel back the layers of misinformation and deceit by defendant nonprofit hospital systems and hospitals, we are sadly finding that in many ways the defendants are little ‘Enrons’ in their own communities -- breaching the trust of taxpayers, patients and the hard working and dedicated employees of their own organizations.
“In state courts, the defendants will find themselves directly before their own communities in front of juries made up of the very people whom they are supposed to be serving. For the defendant nonprofit hospital systems and hospitals, it is truly like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. With over 45 million uninsured in our country today, the wrongdoings perpetrated by many nonprofit hospitals must end, and justice must prevail,” Mr. Scruggs said.
To learn more about the class action lawsuits by uninsured patients against nonprofit hospital systems and hospitals, please visit http://www.nfplitigation.com/.
Contact: Richard Scruggs The Scruggs Law Firm, P.A. (662) 281-1212
The Scruggs Law Firm, P.A.
CONTACT: Richard Scruggs of The Scruggs Law Firm, P.A., +1-662-281-1212
Web site: http://www.nfplitigation.com/
