Jury Verdict Research Medical Malpractice Verdict and Settlement Study Released: Median Med Mal...

Business Editors/Health & Legal Writers

HORSHAM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2002

Jury awards in medical malpractice claims jumped 43% in one year -- from $700,000 in 1999 to $1 million in 2000.

But plaintiffs lost the majority of their cases that went to a

        National Jury-Award Median in Medical Malpractice Cases

            Year                Median Award
            ----                ------------
            2000                $ 1,000,000
            1999                $   700,000
            1998                $   733,900
            1997                $   503,000
            1996                $   474,536
            1995                $   500,000

"As our statistics show, medical malpractice plaintiffs do not fare well with juries in the won-lost column," said David Boxold, editor of the study. "However, juries have compensated plaintiffs more generously than in previous years." More than half of medical malpractice jury awards were for $500,000 or more, according to the report.

                           Plaintiff Recovery Rate
                      (ratio of plaintiff verdicts to defense verdicts)
      Medical Malpractice                   Surgical      Childbirth
      -------------------                   --------      ----------
Year       (Overall)       Diagnosis       Negligence     Negligence
----       ---------       ---------       ----------     ----------
2000          38%             37%             48%            38%
1999          34%             31%             32%            43%
1998          33%             33%             29%            44%
1997          35%             33%             39%            35%
1996          29%             26%             30%            34%
1995          35%             37%             31%            46%


      The 95-page study of jury-award trends also showed that after a
steady five-year increase, the settlement median in medical
malpractice cases fell 16%, from $592,074 in 1999 to $500,000 in 2000.

        National Settlement Median in Medical Malpractice Cases

                  Year            Settlement Median
                  ----            -----------------