Malpractice History

Malpractice is the improper or negligent treating of a patient by a physician, resulting in injury, financial loss, or death. These days one would be hard pressed to not come across a story about the latest ridiculous law suit. These frivolous suits may be seen as a joke to the general public, but in many cases, there isn’t much to be laughed at.

Seeing Malpractice Lawsuits From the Physician’s Point of View

The threat of a malpractice lawsuit has many physicians shaking in their boots and paying exorbitant premiums for malpractice insurance. So many of the modern procedures are so complex that even the smallest mistake can cause permanent damage or worse. For everyone of these tiny mistakes, the chance of a malpractice lawsuit threatens to end a physician’s career.

Fortunately for these physicians, many protections exist to keep lawsuits from being filed at every turn. There is also a considerable ongoing effort to reform some of the rules that govern the industry.

So Why does it exist?

The fact is that malpractice lawsuits should exist simply to protect patients from legitimately negligent physicians, and to assist in compensation for the acts of these physicians. However, malpractice lawsuits that are brought about simply for those seeking money only makes the medical industry more difficult to be a part of, raising insurance premiums for both doctor and patient alike.