Study: Liability Suits Common But Most Doctors Will Win

The American Medical News reported that although nearly all physicians "will be sued at least once during their career," most cases "will end in their favor," according to a study published Aug. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study authors estimated that by "age 65, 75% of physicians in low-risk specialties will have experienced a lawsuit, compared with 99% of physicians in high-risk specialties." The analysis of "claims data on about 41,000 physicians between 1991 and 2005" indicated less than "2% of those sued make payments to plaintiffs" and that neurosurgeons are "sued more often than any other specialists." Annually, an average "7.4% of physicians experienced a medical liability claim," of whom only "1.6% made payments to plaintiffs."