Defensive medicine has become an increasingly common practice, particularly in the United States, where malpractice litigation is most common. It takes two distinct forms: avoidance and assurance. In an avoidance mode, the practitioner simply opts not to practice medicine in a field that is prone to high levels of litigation, is inherently high-risk or where […]

On Oct. 31, the Indiana Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the state’s Patient Compensation Fund (PCF)—established to cover excess damages in medical malpractice cases—may not dispute the existence or cause of a plaintiff’s injury in a case in which the medical providers previously settled the claim, admitting liability. The decision, Robertson v. B.O., has led […]

side note: Here is what might be a conclusion to the flagrant medical malpractice case in Nevada where potentially hundreds of patients were exposed to hep c. A district judge Monday approved a settlement of 18 medical malpractice lawsuits stemming from the Las Vegas hepatitis C outbreak. The settlement with 18 former patients of the […]

The Rhode Island Supreme Court’s decision in Almonte v. Kurl (46 A.3d 1) was one that shed some light on the complexities of medical malpractice claims involving suicide and raised important questions about the limits of liability in cases marked by inherent unpredictability. For healthcare providers, particularly those in high-stakes settings like emergency rooms, the […]

side note: This may not be the federal tort reform most physicians had hoped for, but it is a start. Below please find the official press release from the Health & Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality that details how the $25 million in funding will be allocated. The Department of Health and […]

TDC is set to announce a merger between them and the Utah Medical Insurance Association. The biggest insurers in the nation have been buying up regional companies at an increased rate. This will increase the amount of physicians that TDC insurers up to 76,000. A more in-depth story to come.

side note: The link below references a recent press release from MMIC Group, which provides medical malpractice insurance to physicians, clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, primarily in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The press release announces that MMIC Group received final regulatory approval to change from a stock […]

News about the economy is everywhere. As a national medical malpractice insurance agency, we are constantly talking to physicians and we are constantly hearing about the current state of practicing medicine. And, right now, we are hearing a lot about how physicians are feeling the effects of this terrible economy on their practices. We are […]

Medical Liability Monitor’s 2012 Rate Survey Indicates Medical Professional Liability Insurance Premiums Continue to Shrink, Market Likely Years from Hardening Since 1991, Medical Liability Monitor—an independent, industry newsletter—has been surveying the leading providers of medical professional liability insurance (MPLI) for its annual rate report. This year’s survey reports rates from more than 40 companies that […]