Statistics Reveal That the Majority of Medical Malpractice Cases That Go to Trial in Philadelphia Conclude in Defense Verdicts.
Although Philadelphia juries have a national reputation for being prone to award verdicts in favor of plaintiffs, statistics just released indicate that the majority of medical malpractice cases in Philadelphia that come to trial have been concluded in favor of defendants. In 2009, 77% or 34 medical malpractice verdicts were in favor of the defendants while 23% or 10 verdicts were in favor of the plaintiffs. The amount awarded to plaintiffs was down drastically in 2009 to a total of $13 million. Filings of medical malpractice cases are down as records indicate that only 113 medical malpractice cases have been filed so far this year with three cases disposed of. In 2009, there were 507 medical malpractice cases filed and there were 568 cases filed in 2008. Many experienced Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers are utilizing the services of alternative dispute resolution which provides an opportunity for the parties to get together and resolve their differences in a court room setting. These services skew the results of many cases and may cause verdict statistics to inaccurately reflect the success of plaintiffs with medical malpractice cases.
The experienced Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys Jeffrey Reiff and Raymond Bily who sit as Judge Pro Temp for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas are very well aware that a good case is still a good case and that very few good cases are tried to verdict. There is a good likelihood that an alternative dispute resolution will be able to amicably resolve these matters saving all of the parties expense and risk. It should be noted that the drop off in medical malpractice filings in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia began when the state supreme court instituted measures requiring medical malpractice cases be filed in the counties where the alleged malpractice cause of action arose and that cases be filed with a Certificate of Merit from a physician stating there is a reasonable probability that a medical malpractice defendant deviated from the accepted standard of care.
If you or a loved one is a victim of Pennsylvania medical malpractice, please contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys for a free no obligation consultation.
