Closed malpractice claims paid $119 million in ’05

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. Most medical malpractice claims closed in Tennessee last year resulted in no payment of damages to patients and their families.

That’s according to a recent report by the Department of Commerce and Insurance.In 2004, the Legislature passed a law requiring the department to issue annual reports on medical malpractice for the years 2005 though 2008, in an effort to spot trends.The recent report reviewed a little over 28-hundred malpractice claims.Doctors say the report exposes the millions of dollars it takes to defend malpractice cases, even unsuccessful ones, with costly lawyer fees and investigation.The approximately 16 percent of claims that were paid in 2005 accounted for more than 119 (M) million dollars in damages.

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