Malpractice History

The cost of a malpractice lawsuit affects everyone. You might not think so but when a doctor, surgeon or hospital is sued for malpractice it raises the rates on malpractice insurance for the rest of the medical industry. Some of these doctors actually have to give up their practice because they just cannot afford the high malpractice insurance rates.

Malpractice Hurting the Industry

Some people in the medical industry actually change and go into science and research or into teaching medicine to avoid malpractice insurance. It is driving people away from the medical field at a time when we need more qualified health care professionals. Hospitals become overcrowded and the doctors that are there are over worked and tired. Do you want to be seen by someone that might be so tired they read your chart wrong?

Patients are getting extremely upset as their doctors and surgeons are closing up shop right in the middle of their care. Pregnant women have to find a new doctor to take over their care and deliver their child, People that have had surgery find they need to find another surgeon for follow up care as their original doctor just could not afford the fee’s any more. It was just not profitable to stay in business.

Raising Malpractice Premiums

The insurance companies keep saying they have no choice but to keep raising the rates for malpractice insurance. This is due to the ever increasing lawsuits brought forth each year. The fear is not in losing the lawsuit – the fear is not knowing what the jury would award for pain and suffering. This amount is usually much greater than the amount of the original malpractice lawsuit.

Many politicians have tried to fight against what they call ‘frivolous’ lawsuits and try to put a cap on what the juries can award over and above the amount of the lawsuit. So far this campaign is not doing much to help us. For now all we can do is watch as more and more doctors pull in their shingle and look for work in other industries.