Of late, we’ve seen some astronomical medical malpractice verdicts. In 2023, 57 medical malpractice verdicts reached $10 million or more, the worst year on record. More than half topped $25 million. In August 2023, a jury awarded $183 million to a family in a brain–damaged baby case – the highest med mal verdict in Philadelphia history. 2024 isn’t auguring better news. Is this a blip or a trend?
Medical malpractice
As developers and health systems embrace artificial intelligence-powered software, a pressing question emerges: Who bears the burden when these innovations inadvertently harm patients? And especially when legal precedent offers only faint guidance. Let's take a look.
Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conferences are routinely held by hospitals to evaluate individual patient care, discuss/dissect interesting cases, and analyze adverse outcomes. It aims to teach, learn, and modify medical/nursing behaviors where appropriate so as to improve patient care. Meetings are confidential to facilitate frank discussion. But a recent case portends evisceration of the confidentiality rule. Plaintiffs are cheering. Defendant-doctors, not. Who’s right?