Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
5
pubmed:dateCreated
1989-11-30
pubmed:abstractText
We reviewed all closed obstetric claims in the records of a major physician-sponsored malpractice insurer that has written policies from 1982 to the present. Of the 54 files closed during the 6.5-year period covered by this study, 21 (39%) involved physician reports of bad outcomes that did not lead to a formal claim. Of the 33 formal claims, 14 (42%) were dismissed, either by the plaintiff's attorney or by the courts. Eighteen of the remaining 19 claims were settled before trial, with an average payment to the plaintiff of $185,000. The one suit that went to trial resulted in a defense verdict. A review of the case histories demonstrated that in the majority of cases when a payment was made, probable medical negligence had taken place. Non-meritorious claims were not compensated. For those cases in which a payment was made, the size of the settlement was commensurate with the seriousness of the injury, which almost always involved damage to the infant. Poor physician judgment was the most common source of error.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Nov
pubmed:issn
0029-7844
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
74
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
710-4
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-10-26
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1989
pubmed:articleTitle
An analysis of closed obstetric malpractice claims.
pubmed:affiliation
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't