[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/resources\/blog\/recent-study-finds-majority-of-physicians-sued\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/resources\/blog\/recent-study-finds-majority-of-physicians-sued\/","headline":"Recent Study Finds Majority of Physicians Sued","name":"Recent Study Finds Majority of Physicians Sued","description":"A recent study conducted by Medscape\u00a0evaluated more than 4,000 physicians and has found that medical malpractice lawsuits […]","datePublished":"2018-01-15","dateModified":"2021-08-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/resources\/author\/graig-schultz\/#Person","name":"Graig M. Schultz","url":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/resources\/author\/graig-schultz\/","identifier":18,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/49f9b0c4e8ac25d0aff389d7641d4462?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/49f9b0c4e8ac25d0aff389d7641d4462?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Gross McGinley, LLP","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/logopng-00436945-e1531508982151.png","url":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/logopng-00436945-e1531508982151.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/majority-physicians-sued.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/majority-physicians-sued.jpg","height":800,"width":800},"url":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/resources\/blog\/recent-study-finds-majority-of-physicians-sued\/","about":["Blog"],"wordCount":304,"keywords":["Litigation","Medical Malpractice Defense"],"articleBody":"A recent study conducted by Medscape\u00a0evaluated more than 4,000 physicians and has found that medical malpractice lawsuits have been filed against more than half (55%) of physicians in the United States, with nearly half (49%) of the physicians sued more than once. \u00a0Among all physicians, the top reasons for the lawsuit were failure to diagnose\/delayed diagnosis (31%), complications from treatment\/surgery (27%), and poor outcome\/disease progression (24%). These numbers varied from a similar survey conducted in 2015 which indicated that 31% of lawsuits were a result of the patient suffering an abnormal injury. That number dropped significantly to 9% of lawsuits in 2017.According to the 2017 study, Surgeons and Obstetricians\/Gynecologists often are the specialists that tend to be sued most, at 85% each. These numbers appear consistent with a similar survey performed in 2015. It was also reported in the 2017 survey that primary care physicians, surgeons, and ob\/gyns were often named in two or more lawsuits. These medical malpractice suits can be unexpected for physicians.\u00a0According to Medscape, over half (58%) of physicians sued categorized their reaction as “very surprised” by the lawsuit.Although the majority of all lawsuits are settled or dismissed prior to trial, more than three-fourths (79%) of all lawsuits took more than one year to conclude, one-third of all physicians sued spent more than forty hours defending their case, and more than three-fourths (81%) of physicians were required to sit for a deposition during the pendency of their case. Nearly one-fourth (22%) of physicians sued stated that, in hindsight, they would have improved documentation in the patient\u2019s chart, and more than half (53%) of physicians believe that they can discourage future lawsuits by enhancing communication with their patients.Attorney Graig Schultz is a litigator in Gross McGinley’s Medical Malpractice Defense Group, representing hospitals, health networks, physician groups, and individual medical professionals in lawsuits pertaining to medical care and supposed negligence."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Resources","item":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/resources\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/resources\/\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Recent Study Finds Majority of Physicians Sued","item":"https:\/\/www.grossmcginley.com\/resources\/blog\/recent-study-finds-majority-of-physicians-sued\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]