WHICH SPECIALTIES GET SUED THE MOST IN USA ?

"Being sued" in medical practice implies facing Malpractice litigation claims by patients seeking compensation from doctors for damages caused by either omission of good care or commission of bad care or both. The risk is very real for doctors in the US and many a times courts have awarded millions of dollars to the patients. Recently, this has been a cause of great concern to the country, since eventually, it increases the cost of healthcare in the US and people's taxes and health insurance premiums go up !

Being sued to the tune of gigantic dollars threatens to put a physician out of practice - this is why almost physicians in USA get themselves 'covered' by purchasing malpractice insurance.

Premiums i.e. the amount physicians have to pay each year to the protecting company, depend on the 'risk' of the specialty that the physician practices in. Here are the top specialties where doctor's get sued most often!

• Obstetrics - Gynecology
  
• Neurosurgery
  
• General Surgery
  
• Emergency medicine
  
• Orthopedic surgery
  
• Radiology
• Family Practice

Obstetrics-Gynecology presents with the highest risk of being sued by patients for malpractice and premiums that physicians must pay out of their own pockets can average $35,000 a year and sometimes much more in group / private practice ! According to Dr.Ronald Uva, chair of district II of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, liability premiums that ob-gyn docs must pay each year to cover themselves from losing their roofs in event of being sued, range from 40,000$ in upstate NY and a whopping $120,000/- in downstate ! Read more about it here.

Read this interesting article that says 76% Obstetricians get sued atleast once in the USA

State Variations in Premium rates are vast, often forcing doctors to pack bags and start up another practice in another state. For example I read about how Dr. Zimet left his orthopedic surgery practice in Pennsylvania after his yearly malpractice premiums hit $105,000/- and shifted to Virginia where the rates were $33,000 a year. Read the story Here.



Some interesting malpractice articles:

1. Doctors Malpractice Fears Hurt Healthcare
2. Seven Reasons Family Doctors Get Sued and How to Reduce Your Risk
3. Study on the most common reasons why patients file malpractice lawsuits


Nice Books:

- When Good Doctors Get Sued: A Guide for Defendant Physicians



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