True Cost of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits – It May Surprise You

A new study reveals that the cost of medical malpractice lawsuits in the US is running at about $55.6 billion a year. The $45.6 billion of which is spent on defensive medicine practiced by physicians seeking to stay clear of lawsuits. The amount comprises 2.4% of the nation’s total health care expenditure.

The numbers are the result of a Harvard School of Public Health study published in the September edition of Health Affairs, purporting to be the most reliable estimate of malpractice costs to date. Some of the more vocal opponents to health care reform have long argued that doing away with medical malpractice lawsuits would go a long way towards solving a major cost problem in the system. Given the small percentage of the health care dollar spent on medical malpractice issues that would hardly appear to be the case.

History of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits in America

The history of medical malpractice lawsuits in America dates back into the 19^th century. Prior to the early 1800's, medical malpractice was almost unknown in the United States. However, a large number of malpractice lawsuits inundated the courts between 1835 and 1865. Most of these medical malpractice lawsuits were based over joints mistreatment and about 70 to 90 percent of the litigation involved fractures and dislocations with imperfect results or deformities such as shortened or crooked limbs.