Recent News
Why physicians are getting sued less and paying more, with The Doctors Company President Robert White
One in 21 physicians was sued last year, the lowest rate since 1973. The average payment made on behalf of a physician and reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank was $514,000, the highest on record. Both numbers describe the same malpractice market, and the...
The Aging of America: What It Means for MPL
The Research & Analytics Department continues to evaluate data sources beyond the Data Sharing Project to provide broader insights into emerging issues affecting the medical professional liability (MPL) industry. This quarter’s highlight examines the aging U.S....
September 2026 Newsletter
California legislation could augment liability Without a federal framework on the role of AI in our nation’s health care system, states like California are taking the impacts of algorithms into their own hands, at the risk of creating another avenue for medical...
California Bill Would Reshape Liability for Clinical AI Systems
California legislation that would establish new liability rules for artificial intelligence used in patient care is awaiting action by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has untilSept. 30 to sign or veto the measure. Assembly Bill 2575, which cleared the Legislature Aug. 31, and...
August 2026 Newsletter
Who is liable when AI makes the diagnosis? As artificial intelligence takes on a bigger role in diagnosing and treating patients, the medical liability system faces a question it isn’t yet ready to answer: who is responsible if a joint human-AI decision is wrong? A...
Most medical malpractice lawsuits are meritless
The story of medical malpractice litigation in the United States is the endless struggle to find meaning. The United States is a litigious society. One out of every 230 Americans is a lawyer, and one out of every eight Americans will be involved in litigation in one...
Opinion: Runaway verdicts in med-mal cases will hurt CT’s most vulnerable
American doctors appear to face two seemingly conflicting trends. On the one hand, the frequency of medical liability lawsuits is declining. On the other, liability insurance premiums are rising, a troubling sign, especially for many smaller practices throughout New...
July 2026 Newsletter
Nuclear verdicts are reshaping the liability landscape Physicians may be facing fewer lawsuits, but the price tag on those claims that do occur is climbing fast — and further driving up the price patients pay for care. In a new analysis, Robert E. White Jr., president...
When the Patient Gets the Preview: Gen AI, Instant Access, and the Emerging Liability Gap
Patients now receive laboratory and imaging results in real time via electronic health record (EHR) portals—often before the ordering physician reviews the findings. This newfound ability to receive and act on clinical information before speaking with a medical...
North Carolina is the First State to Ban Third-Party Litigation Funding
North Carolina recently became the first state to ban third-party litigation funding (TPLF) in civil proceedings. House Bill 315, titled the Prohibit Litigation Investments Act, bans external investors from financing lawsuits in exchange for repayment once the case...