To understand malpractice risk by specialty, researchers analyzed data from 1991 to 2005 for nearly 41,000 physicians covered by a large nationwide liability insurer. Across specialties, 7.4 percent of physicians annually had a medical malpractice claim brought against them.
According to the study, the following specialties have the highest percentage of physicians with a malpractice claim annually, beginning with the highest risk specialty.
1. Neurosurgery – 19 percent
2. Thoracic-cardiovascular surgery – 19 percent
3. General surgery – 15 percent
4. Orthopedic surgery – 14 percent
5. Plastic surgery – 12 percent
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