(NewsNation) — A Florida law that put severe limits on who can sue for medical malpractice is on the verge of being repealed, thanks in part to the work of activists like Sabrina Davis.
A Florida law currently on the books bans anyone age 26 and older from suing for pain and suffering if their loved one dies due to medical malpractice and is not married or doesn’t have any minor children.
Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have voted to repeal the law, and that legislation is heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for a signature.
Sabrina Davis first spoke to NewsNation about her fight against the law in 2022. Her father, Keith Davis, died in 2020.
The Navy veteran died at a Tampa hospital.
“My dad went into the hospital with simple knee pain, and we asked about eight times for them to order an ultrasound, and they declined every request,” Davis told NewsNation. “One of my dad’s last text messages to me was, ‘I could be sitting here with a blood clot, and the doctor doesn’t even care.'”
Keith Davis died three days later, and an autopsy revealed he was killed by a nine-inch blood clot.
“After I paid for the autopsy, I pursued the Department of Health and ACA. They both found the hospital at fault for working below the standard of care and committing medical malpractice in my father’s death,” Sabrina Davis said.
Davis told NewsNation she pushed for the law to be repealed because she hopes that if they are able to be held accountable for malpractice in court, hospitals and health systems will improve protocols to help prevent other families from losing a loved one.
The hospital offered to reimburse her for the costs of her father’s funeral and autopsy if she stopped sharing his story.
“My dad taught me to speak up for what is right. So I knew that no one would ever stop me from sharing what happened to him,” Davis said.