Med Mal Jury Awards Climbed In 2000
Wednesday, March 27th, 2002 Liability LitigationTaking a medical malpractice case to trial, a generally successful strategy for doctors and hospitals in recent years, can backfire, according to a just-released study by Jury Verdict Research. With the median jury award of $1 million in 2000, up from $700,000 in 1999, the strategy can result in big-time payouts for those defendants that roll the dice and lose in court, the study revealed. Medical malpractice defendants win cases brought to juries roughly 62 percent of the time, the Horsham, Pa.-based firm reported in its analysis, "Medical Malpractice: Verdicts, Settlements and Statistical Analysis." While the plaintiff recovery rate was up slightly—from 34 percent in 1999 to 38 percent in 2000—the rate has remained below 40 percent throughout the seven-year period covered in the study (1994-2000).
