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Male dermatologists more likely than females to be sued

On Behalf of | Jan 10, 2018 | Medical Malpractice

Texas doctors may be interested in a study that found female dermatologists were less likely to face lawsuits than male dermatologists and that the reason seemed to hinge on better communication. According to a meta-analysis, female doctors offered more reassurance and encouragement and tended to get more patient input. There was a 250 percent higher chance that male physicians would be sued than female physicians.

The study examined more than 90,000 claims against various specialty physicians, including 1,084 against dermatologists. It found that around one-quarter of the lawsuits were filed against female physicians compared to almost 70 percent filed against male physicians. Doctors in group practices were less likely to be sued compared to doctors with solo practices, and doctors at large medical institutions were the least likely to be sued.

In most cases, medical malpractice suits against dermatologists are dismissed, withdrawn or abandoned. However, when a case did make it to trial, from 2006 to 2015, defendants were favored by verdicts by a factor of seven. The most common reason for filing a lawsuit was errors in skin operations. In second place was misdiagnosis. Per claim, the mean recovery was $238,000. This is double the amount of $118,000 from 1991 to 2005.

People who feel they have suffered harm because of a medical error might want to talk to an attorney about the situation. Medical errors may happen in any field of medicine and could include mistakes in administering medication, delayed diagnoses and more. If the mistake occurs because the patient has not received a reasonable standard of care, a court might decide that medical malpractice has occurred. A medical professional might also offer to settle a case out of court. If the patient accepts this offer, it may be accompanied by restrictions such as agreeing to not discuss the case.

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