It sometimes feels like no amount of facts and figures will ever be able to bust the myth that medical malpractice lawsuits, greedy lawyers, and Americans looking for a payday are responsible for the majority of lawsuits and for driving up the costs of healthcare and medical insurance. We’ve frequently discussed the actual drivers behind high medical malpractice premiums for doctors, as well as the reasons behind climbing health insurance premiums and the costs of medical care and tests (please see the related posts linked below for more information).
Today, we’d like to address the latest figures released regarding lawsuits filed in this country and again attempt to set the record straight on these so-called ambulance chasing lawsuits.
According to data compiled by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) for the year 2016, the latest data available, contract disputes are responsible for the majority of civil cases in state courts, representing 47% of civil cases filed. Other NCSC data revealed: