Assisting in Your Defense: Strategies for Healthcare Practitioners

A 2023 American Medical Association report found that 31.2 percent of U.S. physicians have been sued at some point in their careers. This risk increases with age and experience, with nearly 47 percent of physicians age 55 and older having faced a lawsuit. General surgeons and ob/gyns face the highest risk, with over 75 percent of those 55 and older having been sued. Consider the following scenario:

A physician incurred nearly $200,000 in medical student loan debt, graduated in the top 10 percent of the class, and dedicated 14 years to providing care to patients. Unexpectedly, the local sheriff’s office served the physician with a lawsuit filed by a long-time patient... Read the full article here.