With Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker poised to sign into law broad new protections from lawsuits for businesses, plaintiffs' attorneys are hustling to file personal injury cases before the measure takes effect. The bill approved by the Legislature on Thursday would limit punitive damages in personal injury lawsuits and damages for pain and suffering in medical malpractice cases involving nursing homes. That's left lawyers looking to make sure their clients aren't limited in collecting those. Adding to the rush is the fact that provisions in the bill apply to all plaintiffs who file lawsuits after the legislation takes effect, even in cases where the plaintiffs were injured before the approval of the bill.
