Soldier Who Led Military Malpractice Fight Gets Claim Denied (2)

He inspired a new law that allows troops to file claims with the military services for medical malpractice. But Army Green Beret Richard Stayskal, who suffers from Stage 4 lung cancer, got a dose of bad news: The Army denied his own claim.

Congress in December 2019 eased the seven-decade ban on troops or their families seeking compensation for injury or death at the hand of military hospitals. Troops have been barred from suing the military in federal civilian court for malpractice under what is called the Feres Doctrine, a Supreme Court legal precedent set in 1950. The 2019 law, ...