More than Half of Med Mal Cases in Massachusetts Dropped
Side Note: A new study shows that almost 60% of med mal cases in the state of Massachusetts are eventually dropped by plaintiffs. If you’re a Massachusetts physician, that’s good news and bad news. It’s good news because the case against you was dropped, but bad news because you were put through quite a bit of stress going through the med mal litigation process, not to mention time and wages lost –I could go on and on, and I’m sure you could, too. In the study, it took an average of nearly 3 years before a claim was dropped –3 years!
Looking at the bigger picture: additional time, money and resources were lost having the med mal insurance company fight the claim. The average cost for a dropped claim was $25,735. Not small change. And, as you know, this adds up to higher Massachusetts med mal premiums. The article below also details reasons why most cases are dropped. Read on for the interesting answers and learn about a pilot project to help alleviate the lag time involved in potential cases being dropped.
Are you a Massachusetts physician and would you like to lower your Massachusetts physician liability premiums? If so, contact us today.
More than half of liability claims in Massachusetts end up being dropped
By: Alicia Gallegos
From: amednews.com
Posted: Aug. 8, 2011
Nearly 60% of liability claims against medical professionals in Massachusetts are dropped by plaintiffs during litigation, leading to significantly wasted defense costs and unnecessary distress for doctors, a study shows.
The report, published in the July issue of Health Affairs, analyzed 3,695 lawsuits against physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals filed between 2006 and 2010. According to the findings, 58.6% of claims were abandoned by plaintiffs, 26.6% were settled and 14.8% were adjudicated.
