NY, NJ Medical Malpractice Victims Receive $1 Billion In 2015
Despite proportionally fewer medical malpractice lawsuits than many other states, New York and New Jersey malpractice cases have seen far more money paid out to victims. According to a recent report, medical practitioners in these states paid out nearly $1 billion in malpractice settlements in 2015.
Medical malpractice settlements highest in New York
The recently released analysis, which was put out by Diederich Healthcare and Zippia, compares the numbers of medical malpractice lawsuits filed in each state per 100,000 residents in 2015, the amounts paid out, and the percent change from 2014. The annual compilation has become a recognize industry resource on state-to-state malpractice trends.
The 2015 analysis puts New York at the top of the list for medical malpractice settlement dollars paid per capita at the equivalent of $35.95 paid for resident in the state. This translates to $711.7 million collected by victims, a 4.22% decrease from the year before. New Jersey is not far behind, in the fourth spot, and seeing $28.61 paid per resident. Medical providers paid out $256.3 million to victims, an increase of 4.59 percent.
Medical malpractice lawsuit rates
Despite the higher payouts, neither New York nor New Jersey leads the country in rate of lawsuits filed. For example, Louisiana leads the nation with 44.1 lawsuits per 100,000 residents. Hawaii has the fewest with 4.9 lawsuits per 100,000 residents. New York and New Jersey, meanwhile, fall in the middle; listed from highest to lowest. New Jersey comes in at number 7 with 30.4 malpractice suits per 100,000 people and New York appears in the bottom half of the list, at number 30, with 19.3 suits per 100,000 residents.
The analysis uses data reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, which tracks settlement amounts based on written demands made to “practitioners”. This means payouts in lawsuits filed only against hospitals, which are not “practitioners”, or settlements reached in confidential mediation sessions, are not included. Though there are some limitations in what data is reported to the NPDB, the information is considered valuable because it is based on voluntary payments which are a stronger indication of doctor negligence than only the number of lawsuits filed.
Medical malpractice attorneys in NY and NJ
Patients and their families need to be advocates for their own health and safety. When someone suspects that a condition or injury was caused by medical negligence, taking legal action protects not only the victim and his or her family, but also the community that may also suffer from a careless doctor. The medical malpractice attorneys at The Sanders Firm understands the enormous impact that medical malpractice can have on victims in New York and New Jersey and are committed to helping hold those at fault accountable.
If you or a loved one have suffered as the result of a negligent medical professional, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your losses. While financial recovery may not undo all of the horrors of medical negligence, they may be able to reimburse you for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional suffering, disfigurement, and continued therapy. To learn about your legal options, do not delay. Call today. Resources
- Becker’s Hospital Review, A state-by-state breakdown of medical malpractice suits, http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/a-state-by-state-breakdown-of-medical-malpractice-suits.html
- Diederich Healthcare, 2016 Medical Malpractice Payout Analysis, http://www.diederichhealthcare.com/the-standard/2016-medical-malpractice-payout-analysis/
