Defense costs of medical malpractice claims

Despite research on the overall costs of the U.S. medical liability system,1 national data are limited on the costs associated with resolving medical malpractice claims2 — defense costs — and how they vary according to physician specialty. The frequency of malpractice claims and the size of awards vary considerably across specialties,3 yet the degree of variation in defense costs across specialties is unknown. Defense costs constitute an important expense for insurers, and they affect physicians and patients by raising the costs of malpractice premiums and medical care, respectively. (April 5, 2013)