A House panel has approved a plan that will restrict medical malpractice awards and limit the time frame in which a potential plaintiff can file a malpractice lawsuit. Physicians and Republicans, who have been seeking malpractice legislation because of rising health care and insurance costs, welcomed Tuesday's announcement by the House Judiciary Committee. Many doctors allege that they have been forced to leave their practices due to soaring insurance premiums caused by high medical malpractice jury awards.

As part of the plan, pain and suffering awards would be capped at $250,000 and punitive damages would be restricted to twice the amount of economic damages. The Democratic-controlled Senate, calling the legislation "far-reaching and dangerous," rejected a similar medical malpractice bill earlier this summer. The new legislation must be approved by another committee before it reaches the House floor.