What was the status of malpractice payouts in New York City this year? According to the New York City Comptroller’s Office, the numbers are up after a decade-long national decline in the number of payouts.
This is part of a national trend. In 2013 the number of medical malpractice payments in the US rose by 4.7%, the first increase in ten years. In 2014 the number rose again by 4.4%, and in that year the highest amounts per capita were paid out in New York, followed by New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The number of malpractice claims filed against city-owned hospitals has increased as well, from 495 claims in 2013 to 512 claims in 2015. The Comptroller’s Office only measured hospitals that are owned by the City Health and Hospitals Corporation, which controls New York City’s 11 public hospitals.
The theme for malpractice claims over the past decade has been around tort reform. In some areas, tort reform has reduced the number of claims and the amount of payouts drastically. If these numbers hold, that trend may be reversing. This is good news for people who need to get the compensation they deserve after a malpractice incident.
Have you been injured by a medical professional? Seek help. Contact Bottar Law for a consultation about your malpractice case.