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Malpractice Insurance Coming

EXPERT ADVICE
next month in

South Florida
Jury Verdicts Against Doctors Skyrocketing Hospital News
and Healthcare
Report...
They are called “shock losses” but industry so many thinking they can get rich quickly
experts are no longer shocked, but rather in a by capitalizing on a mistake or just a bad

state that I would best describe as numb. Juries outcome in their care or one of their family
around the country are awarding mind blowing members’ care. • Annual Salute
amounts to patients suing their doctors in med- To connect the dots just a bit more, yes, to Doctors Issue:
ical malpractice cases. Lawsuits that end in the rates for malpractice insurance will be
awards over $10,000,000 against doctors are increasing because of this troubling claims Physician Profiles
becoming normal in America now. In 2014 such trend. In Florida most of the prominent
awards happened only seventeen times in the medical malpractice insurers are now losing • Real Estate –
country, but that number jumped to forty one about 25 to 35 cents on every dollar of pre- Healthcare Design,
just three short years later after increasing mium. Many smaller, financially fragile
steadily. With the final numbers yet to be real- insurers are either folding or selling out, and Construction,
ized for 2018, the year to date numbers for 2018 some of the insurers are already raising rates
look sure to sharply increase again from the BY MATT GRACEY and/or tightening their underwriting Facility Planning,
2017 number of large awards. requirements. Buckle up for a wild market •Physician Group
This 193% of increase of awards over headed our way because until juries get back
$10,000,000 against doctors cuts across many jurisdictions in to some form of reality, these large verdicts will continue. Practice
the U.S. In Florida alone, there were four “shock losses” in Now is the time to get expert, independent advice to choose Management
2017 totaling $85 million, but just in the first three quarters your malpractice insurer very wisely.
of 2018 there were already two large awards totaling •Hospital/
$150,000,000! Yes, you can almost hear the insurance com- Matt Gracey, medical
panies actively covering Florida’s doctors rushing for oxygen malpractice insurance Physician Relations
as they go into shock over this newest trend to befall doctors. specialist with Danna-
We can only speculate on the causes but most agree that Gracey, can be reached For more information on
the juries themselves are numb to large numbers as our sports at (800) 966-2120 or advertising and editorial
stars, celebrities, and politicians throw mind-bending num- matt@dannagracey.com.
bers around like pennies. Some point to the lottery mentality opportunities,
of many patients if something goes wrong in their care, with call (561) 368-6950 today!

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com February 2019 9