Healthgrades for ProfessionalsFactors Increasing Risk for Medical Malpractice Claims

The Unseen Gender Gap: Male Physicians Face Higher Malpractice Claims

In the realm of medical practice, malpractice claims are an unfortunate reality. Navigating the landscape of medical malpractice claims reveals a complex interplay of factors. Age, medical specialty, and gender emerge as significant determinants of a physician’s likelihood to face such a claim.

• Nearly one in three physicians has faced a malpractice claim in their career, as per the American Medical Association’s analysis.
• The risk of being sued is low in a short period, with only 1.2% of physicians reporting a lawsuit in 2022.
• Age plays a significant role in the likelihood of being sued, with physicians aged 55 and older being 21 times more likely to face a lawsuit than those aged 40-54.
• The risk of malpractice claims varies significantly by medical specialty, with OBGYN, General Surgery, and Other Surgical Subspecialties facing the highest risks.
• Despite the prevalence of malpractice claims, 86% of physicians report being surprised when named in a suit.
• The majority of malpractice claims favor the physician, with two out of three claims being dropped, dismissed, or withdrawn without finding fault.
• Medical specialties like Allergy & Immunology, Hematology & Oncology, and Endocrinology & Diabetes have the lowest risk of getting sued.

Did You Know?
When claims do advance to trial, the jury finds in favor of the physician defendant in nearly 90% of cases.