The 3/4 Factor

Several independent objective studies have concluded that between 75 and 80 percent of all malpractice suits filed are deemed invalid.  3/4 of the cases should not have been filed. Three out of four cases had no merit at all!  Yet each of those would cost the physician and his professional malpractice insurance carrier money for a settlement, or tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend against the baseless allegations — charges that never should have been filed in the first place.  

Why do they file, then?  In some cases, patients really do feel they’ve been mistreated, wronged.  More often, though, they’re either after a scapegod, or a money bag.  Most of the time, it’s a combination of greed on two parts: the patient, and the attorney who convinces them that they can “get you the money you deserve!”

 Guess who pays for that bogus award or civil defense?  We ALL do.  The cost of insurance rises, so doctors have to pay more, and they charge us for that increase.  

So far, it’s just rotten business.  Take it a step further though.  The doctor’s insurance pays, settles the case for less than the defense would have cost… and the doctor himself has a tarnished reputation that he must work hard to repair.  Counter-advertising means spending money… and once again, we all foot the bill, in the final analysis.

Nobody likes to turn in friends and neighbors, but these 3/4 cases amount to theft.  When the patient knows that s/he isn’t actually permanently harmed, he’s stealing. When he feigns more distressing pain and suffering than he’s actually feeling, he’s stealing.  And it’s not just the big bad evil insurance companies he’s stealing from.  At the end of the day, he’s stealing from you and me, making healthcare insurance less affordable for every one of us.  So if you come across someone doing the 3/4 Factor, whether intentionally or under the persuasion of some attorney, do the right thing.

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