Medical Malpractice Payouts Don’t Add Up To “Crisis”

All of us have experienced the unbelievable increases in homeowner’s insurance premiums over the last 10 years. We would all probably agree it is a crisis. The insurance industry responds by citing the increased payouts over the same period which have made the higher premiums necessary.

Meanwhile, during the same period, the medical profession has also been experiencing large increases in malpractice insurance premiums. Doctors have been referring to the situation as a crisis. Have there been increased payouts of the same period which have made the higher premiums necessary?

A post at the Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog answers the question.

The so-called medical malpractice crisis: an interview with the president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America

Ken Suggs, president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America defends lawyers who are unfairly being attacked as drivers of rising healthcare costs. Even though the Senate recently rejected a bill to cap damages in Medical Malpractice cases, Suggs insists politicians are using tort reform as a way to raise money for their presidential platforms.

Suggs cites the following statistics to demonstrate that the so-called medical malpractice crisis is being unfairly spun to reflect poorly on attorneys:

• Medical malpractice payouts have remained flat for more than 10 years, and over the last four years have been dropping.

• Between 2001 and 2004, the number of payouts on behalf of doctors fell about 14 percent.