Medical Malpractice Statistics

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- About three-quarters of U.S. doctors will be sued for malpractice at some point in their careers, though the vast majority will not end up paying any claims, a new study suggests. The study found that surgeons faced the greatest chance of having a malpractice claim filed against them, while specialities with the lowest risk of a lawsuit included family medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Only about 20% of all claims actually led to a payment and the specialties most likely to face lawsuits weren't always most likely to pay claims, according to the study, which is published Aug 18 New England Journal of Medicine. As a Coachella Valley medical malpractice Attorney I have found that one of the reasons that Medical Malpractice lawsuits are more difficult to win than other personal injury lawsuits is that jurors have respect for doctors and don't want to believe that they can make mistakes. When doctors are sued, their insurance company hires the best doctors they can find to defend their insured doctors. It is more difficult for the malpractice victim's lawyer to locate expert witness doctors to testify against other doctors than it is for the insurance company to hire doctors that provide expert opinions in favor of the defendant doctor. Despite these problems, many Medical Malpractice cases can be settled or won in court. If you or a loved one thinks you are a victim of Medical Negligence, contact the Palm Springs medical malpractice attorney at Barry Regar A Professional Law Corporation for a free consultation.