Medical liability: no-fault liability system in Lithuania

On 1 January 2020, the "no-fault" liability system model came into effect in Lithuania, whereby decisions on compensation and its amount are primarily made, not by the insurance company or the court, but by a mandatory pre-trial institution. The purpose of such change is to enable patients who have been harmed to receive compensation faster and more easily, to allocate funds and time to recover their impaired health, also to create conditions that encourage the disclosure of errors by personal health care professionals along with measures to prevent their recurrence. The patient rights and compensation model is still a relatively new phenomenon in Lithuania. This model is already in actively use, but further analysis of the model, the comprehensive work of the legislator and evaluation in practice is a necessary component required for its proper use. This article examines the historical context, legal transformations, and practical implications of Lithuania's no-fault liability system in medical practice.