Doctors Who are Sued Once are Often Sued Again, Study Finds

By Staff Writer

Based on finding from a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the more a doctor is sued, the more they will be sued again.

Researchers of the study used the National Practitioners Data Bank and analyzed over a decade of paid medical malpractice claims. The government database consisted of 66,426 claims against 54,099 doctors.

Below are some notable findings that were discovered from this study:

• Pediatricians were 30% less likely to have a paid medical malpractice claim than most other doctors.

• Orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons were twice as likely to have a paid medical malpractice claim over internists.

• Male doctors had a 38% higher recurrence rate of claims over female doctors.

• Younger doctors under the age of 35 were one third more likely to have a recurrence over older doctors.

An estimated 94% of all doctors have never had a claim.  However, there are those few “bad apples” with continuous claims that can make other doctors look bad.

David M. Studdert, a professor of law and medicine at Stanford University, was the lead author of the study, stating that: “Doctors who accumulate multiple claims are a problem, and a threat to the health care system.  Identifying these high risk doctors is a key first step toward doing something about the problem.”

If you or a loved one has experienced a situation where you were greatly affected due to the negligence of a doctor or other healthcare professional, contact an experienced Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys at Gilreath & Associates for a free consultation.

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