The number of medical-malpractice cases filed in Dauphin County dropped by nearly half from 2002 to 2005, according to a report issued today by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
The number of medical-malpractice cases filed in Dauphin County dropped by nearly half from 2002 to 2005, according to a report issued today by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. The report showed that there were 82 cases filed in 2002, the year the General Assembly enacted a series of legal reforms. The following year, 43 cases were filed in Dauphin County. The number has stayed consistent since then, with 44 cases filed in the county in 2005.
The report did not include data from other Central Pennsylvania counties, but it did show that there was a 41 percent drop statewide in the number of claims filed from 2002 to 2005. The report also cites findings that showed a 17.5 percent decline in the amount paid out by the state-run compensation fund in 2004. The association used the report to argue against imposing caps on damages for pain and suffering in malpractice cases. To view the whole report, visit www.pabar.org.
