New Pennsylvania Stats: Big-Dollar Medical Malpractice Awards Double in 2010

Mario Cattabiani

by Mario Cattabiani — May 19, 2011

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The number of major jury verdicts in Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawsuits nearly doubled in 2010 from the prior year.

And plaintiff's attorneys overall fared better among jurors than they did in 2009, according to just released medical malpractice statistics compiled by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille used the annual number crunching to proclaim the medical malpractice crisis facing Pennsylvania "is over," noting that the number of such cases was down for the sixth straight year.

Tucked within the data is positive signs for the plaintiff's bar.

Specifically, in 2010 there were 24 jury verdicts of $500,000 or more statewide, including 10 that topped $5 million.

That's up from a dozen half-million-dollar-plus awards in 2009, with only one of them cresting $5 million.

What's more, plaintiff's were successful in winning 18.4 percent of the cases that went to jury verdicts in 2010, up from 14.9 percent the year earlier.

The annual survey does not address the number of medical malpractice lawsuits that settle prior to the case reaching a jury verdict. Such cases make up the bulk of medical malpractice claims. 

Attorneys at Ross Feller Casey, LLP have built a nationally recognized reputation for their impressive track record of victories in all areas of medical malpractice.

Disclaimer: Ross Feller Casey, LLP provides legal advice only after an attorney-client relationship is formed. Our website is an introduction to the firm and does not create a relationship between our attorneys and clients. An attorney-client relationship is formed only after a written agreement is signed by the client and the firm. Because every case is unique, the description of awards and summary of cases successfully handled are not intended to imply or guarantee that same success in other cases. Ross Feller Casey, LLP represents catastrophically injured persons and their families in injury and wrongful death cases, providing legal representation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.