PA : Medical lawsuit payouts still high

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Philadelphia awards and settlements made up nearly half of the $348 million paid out by a state fund.

"That Philadelphia continues to be the epicenter of large awards and settlements strengthens the statewide push by doctors and hospitals to have malpractice cases tried in the county in which the patient was treated.

Two of the eight million-dollar Philadelphia verdicts this year were to patients who received medical treatment at suburban hospitals, according to court records. The cases were tried in Philadelphia because the lawyers for the injured patients successfully argued that the doctors and hospitals involved had business ties to the city."

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/4122858.htm

[sjoe]

Be glad they weren't tried in Mississippi, home of the truly outrageous jury awards.

[zudy]

A family in Arkansas was recently awarded $68 million for a family member (age 93) who had died in a NH. I don't know specifics of the case, but for Ark. that is a lot of money.