Medical malpractice lawsuits are shockingly common. Statistics show that between 75% and 99% of doctors can expect to be sued during their careers. It’s understandable that New Jersey residents may want to know if their doctor has been sued. But sometimes, medical providers are sued just because they take on risky cases that would have a high failure rate no matter who the doctor was. That said, there are some ways to discern how responsible your doctor is as a provider.
What sources to check
There are several places where patients can look to find out what their doctor’s track record of medical malpractice claims is like. Review websites tend not to be a great source. Physicians often dispute poor reviews there. Better resources include your state’s medical board, and the DocFinder physician directory is a repository of information that covers every state Finally, checking court records for your county will also uncover any local lawsuits against your physician.
Interpreting the results
Many physicians will be sued during their careers, and that includes very good ones. If your doctor has been sued once or twice, that may not indicate a problem. However, if you notice that there are many actions against them in a short period of time, that may be a warning sign that something isn’t right.
It can be very difficult to discipline a physician, even one who isn’t very good. And by moving to a different county or state, a problem doctor can make it harder for locals to find out about lawsuits in their past. Unfortunately, bad doctors often make it a habit to hop from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. That’s one reason it’s important to do your due diligence before deciding to trust a provider.