FACTS & FIGURES: Medical malpractice statistics for Surgical errors/complications

• General medical malpractice statistics related to surgery malpractice in the USA:
  Nearly 50% of malpractice trials were against surgeons in 75 of the largest counties in the US 2001 (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
  Nearly 33% of malpractice trials were against nonsurgeons in 75 of the largest counties in the US 2001 (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
  Roughly 50% of medical malpractice trials related to surgeons in the 75 largest counties in the US 2001 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice)
  Roughly 33% of medical malpractice trials related to nonsurgeons in the 75 largest counties in the US 2001 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice)
  Roughly 23% of medical malpractice trials against nonsurgeon doctors were won by the plaintiff in the 75 largest counties in the US 2001 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice)
  Roughly 26.5% of medical malpractice trials against surgeons were won by the plaintiff in the 75 largest counties in the US 2001 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice)
• Medical malpractice lawsuit payment statistics for surgery malpractice in the USA:
  4,132 medical malpractice payments were made due to surgery related malpractice in the US 2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  $222,285 was the mean medical malpractice payments made due to surgery related malpractice in the US 2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  $115,000 was the median medical malpractice payments made due to surgery related malpractice in the US 2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  49,429 medical malpractice payments were made due to surgery related malpractice in the US 1990-2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  $172,172 was the mean medical malpractice payments made due to surgery related malpractice in the US 1990-2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  $82,500 was the median medical malpractice payments made due to surgery related malpractice in the US 1990-2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
• Medical malpractice lawsuit payment report statistics for surgery-related malpractice in the USA:
  There were 28,102 surgery related primary malpractice acts or omissions in the US 1990-96 (The National Practitioner Data Bank Public Use File)
  24% of primary malpractice acts or omissions were surgery related in the US 1990-96 (The National Practitioner Data Bank Public Use File)
  $3,851,200,397 in payments were made for surgery related primary malpractice acts or omissions in the US 1990-96 (The National Practitioner Data Bank Public Use File)
• Medical malpractice lawsuit payment statistics for surgery malpractice in the USA:
  There was a 5.56 year mean time delay between surgery related malpractice incident and payment in the US 2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  There was a 4.63 year median time delay between surgery related malpractice incident and payment in the US 2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
• Medical malpractice lawsuit payment statistics for surgery malpractice and nurses in the USA:
  274 surgery related malpractice payment reports were made against registered nurses in the US 1990-2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  46 surgery related malpractice payment reports were made against nurse anaesthetists in the US 1990-2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  7 surgery related malpractice payment reports were made against nurse midwives in the US 1990-2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  5 surgery related malpractice payment reports were made against nurse practitioners in the US 1990-2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)
  1 surgery related malpractice payment reports were made against advanced nurse practitioners in the US 1990-2002 (2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS)

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