With no evidence that suggests that the instances of medical malpractice are decreasing, the amount of restitution victims are receiving has seemed to drop over the past 15 years. Since medical malpractice is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, doctors that are not being held accountable for their mistakes are free to make those same mistakes with others.
Why are the awards for medical malpractice claims dropping?
One of the reasons that the amount of settlements has decreased has been the push by medical practitioners to cap the damages. A cap would mean that anyone seeking compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering as a result of medical malpractice would only be legally allowed to accept a set amount of money.
In 2013, 60% of all medical malpractice lawsuits were associated with extremely significant medical damages, brain damage, quadriplegia, need for lifelong care, or death. The amount of these lawsuits has also decreased over the years, accounting for current inflation values.
Further, the amount of money doctors are paying in insurance liability is also dropping, indicating that these companies are not paying out as much as they were before. Many insurance companies are further opting to settle for a lower amount with those that are bringing the suit against them, contributing to the downward trend of lawsuit payouts.
Our firm believes that a doctor found guilty of medical malpractice should owe their patients full damages for their troubles. This can be done by the paying the highest possible restitution for problems that arose under their care. By placing caps on medical malpractice suits and setting claims out of court, victims are being denied the care they require all over again.
The Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson M.D., J.D. & Associates have attorneys that are also physicians, meaning that they are deeply knowledgeable about the medical field.
If you would like to learn if we are right for your claim, we offer free consultations for those that have not received the treatment they deserve from medical professionals.
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Dr. Michael M. Wilson is an attorney and a physician who earned his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his legal and medical degrees from Georgetown University. He has focused in the area of medical malpractice for more than three decades and secured more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts on behalf of clients throughout the country. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is listed in America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.
