Medical malpractice payouts
1. Dollars in payouts: $3.6 billion (3.4 percent less than in 2011)
2. Total payouts for medical malpractice: 12,142 (one every 43 minutes)
3. Payouts resulting from judgments: 5 percent
4. Payouts resulting from settlements: 93 percent
Payouts by patient type
5. Inpatient: 45 percent
6. Outpatient: 41 percent
7. Both: 9 percent
Top five states for medical malpractice payouts
8. New York: $763,088,250
9. Pennsylvania: $316,167,500
10. California: $222,926,200
11. New Jersey: $206,668,250
12. Florida: $203,671,100
Severity of alleged injury in medical malpractice claims
13. Death: 31 percent
14. Significant permanent injury: 19 percent
15. Major permanent injury: 18 percent
16. Quadriplegic, brain damage, lifelong care: 12 percent
17. Minor permanent injury: 8 percent
18. Major temporary injury: 7 percent
19. Minor temporary injury: 3 percent
20. Emotional injury only: 1 percent
21. Insignificant injury: 0.4 percent
Types of allegations medical malpractice claims
22. Related to diagnosis: 33 percent
23. Related to surgery: 24 percent
24. Related to treatment: 18 percent
25. Related to obstetrics: 11 percent
26. Related to medication: 4 percent
27. Related to monitoring: 3 percent
28. Related to anesthesia: 3 percent
29. Other: 4 percent
More Articles on Medical Malpractice:
Study: Diagnostic Errors Represent Most Common, Costly Malpractice Claims
Study: Malpractice Claims Go Unresolved for 4 Years of Average Physician’s Career
Top 10 Reasons Physicians Practice Defensive Medicine