March 15, 2011, ERIE, PA — A leading Pennsylvania legal newspaper published this week a story about Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers. The story, headlined “Plaintiffs Firms Tightening Scrutiny of Med Mal Cases” reported that plaintiffs are winning fewer verdicts around the state and lawyers are getting more and more picky about the cases they’ll take.
According to the story, Atty. Alan M. Feldman, of Philadelphia, reported that his firm was being more careful about which medical malpractice cases they would take in light of “very disappointing results” in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Atty. Tim Conboy, of Pittsburgh, was quoted as saying that his firm receives many calls from clients with cases pertaining to hospital acquired infections but his firm will not take such cases because they are “not viable…because of the difficulty of actually proving how the infection is acquired.”
No Medical Malpractice Crisis
The story might come as a surprise to a public accustomed to hearing the constant myth that doctors and health insurance are suffering from a medical malpractice crisis. Contrary to the common perception that doctors are sued over nothing and juries give big verdicts to undeserving plaintiffs, the truth is that even when plaintiffs have good cases, they often lose to juries who are worried about hurting doctors and, even when they win, the verdicts are often small.
As a consequence, lawyers are taking fewer cases. Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys are accepting only those cases where the injuries are catastrophic and the liability almost indisputably clear. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts reported that medical malpractice filings have declined 42% between 2000 and 2009 and are at a new low.
We Can Help
At Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C., our Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers recognize the challenges faced by people who’ve suffered injury or loss as a result of medical mistakes. We perform a thorough investigation at the outset of a case using leading experts in the relevant medical field to help us ensure that the case is built solidly from the ground up. If you would like a free consultation with one of our experienced Erie medical malpractice lawyers, call today at 814-273-2010 or toll free at 814-273-2010.