It is usually good news when you hear that the number of malpractice payments have reduced overall. What does it mean, though, when those payments increase? It could mean that fewer, but more serious, incidents occur or that there are really fewer serious cases overall.
Each year, there are many medical malpractice cases that go to the courts because of mistakes that resulted in injuries to patients. With fewer cases in 2017, you’d think that there would be less money spent paying victims, but that has not been the reality.
In 2017, it was reported that $193.6 million was paid out to beneficiaries after malpractice took place. In 2016, there was $174.4 million paid to victims of malpractice. This uptick in payments are attributed to recent incidents along with older claims that have been closed out. The average payout was $651,883 in 2017 compared to $620,524 in the previous year.
In 2017, there were 515 total medical malpractice claims closed. Out of those, the victims received payments in 57.7 percent of the claims.
As someone who has been through a medical malpractice incident, it is your right to file a lawsuit in Connecticut. As the June 13 report showed, people are still successfully making claims after injuries in Connecticut. Even with fewer claims being filed, the amount paid out is rising, which is good for those who do receive a payout in the end. Your attorney will talk to you about the options in your case and if your situation lends itself well to a medical malpractice lawsuit in Connecticut.