Leapfrog Decries Deception Claim in Florida Hospital Rating Fray

A nonprofit hospital safety-grading firm is urging a federal court to grant it pretrial judgment in a lawsuit brought by five Florida hospitals that accused it of engaging in deceptive practices designed to hurt consumers.

The hospitals’ “meritless” suit alleging violations of the Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act was meant to keep consumers from seeing “fair, honest” reports of poor patient safety at the facilities, Leapfrog Group said in a motion for summary judgment filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

The hospitals, members of the Palm Beach Health Network, don’t have ...