Across all physician specialties, restrictive medical malpractice noneconomic damages caps of $250,000 were associated with a 20.2 percent reduction in award size in malpractice cases from 1985 to 2010, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs.
Here are the five specialties that experienced the largest reductions in average award size in medical malpractice cases as a result of restrictive medical malpractice damages caps.
1. Pediatrics — 37.5 percent reduction
2. Obstetrics and gynecology — 32.9 percent reduction
3. Cardiology — 24.4 percent reduction
4. Internal medicine — 19 percent reduction
5. General surgery — 14.3 percent reduction
The study was based on a sample of 220,653 malpractice claims across all medical specialties from 1985 to 2010.
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