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Del. Kenneth R. Plum (D-Reston) said refunding the windfall dollars could get “complicated before the General Assembly is done with the matter.” t
Changing the rate, he said, “doesn’t mean it’s necessarily going to the same guy who loses federal deductions. We’re going to hear a whole lot about this.”
Other matters to be considered by the General Assembly:
• Insurance liability reform —Some believe huge liability claims against insurance companies are partly responsible for the dramatic increase in coverage premiums in recent years. That has made it difficult for local governments and the medical profession, especially, to get adequate and affordable protection.
To help ease the situation, a Senate-House panel recently recommended a $250,000 ceiling on “pain and suffering” awards. Of such a cap, Sen. Truban said, “I think that’ll help. We can work that out pretty decently.”
While he admits the “cap approach is attractive,” Mr. Andrews thinks there are other “solutions.”
For instance, the General Assembly might consider penalties against lawyers who file “frivolous” suits. It also might force insurance companies to base their premium on in-state rates rather than out-of-state rates, which he said tend to be higher in Virginia.
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