Medical Malpractice Filings Way Down – Insurance Company Profits Up
Contrary to popular myth, very few injured Americans file lawsuits. In fact, a majority of cases in our courts today involve businesses suing other businesses and businesses suing individuals.1
- The number of all civil cases filed in Illinois courts has been steadily declining. The number of new cases filed dropped 47 percent from 2010 to 2017.2
- The number of medical malpractice cases in Illinois has dropped 32 percent since 2003.3
- Since 2003, ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company, the state’s largest medical malpractice insurer, has reported profits of $523,488,074.4
- In 2018, ISMIE distributed $15 million in dividends bringing the total amount of policyholder dividends to $240.2 million since the program began in 2007.5
The work of trial lawyers over decades to hold hospitals and physicians accountable when their negligent actions harmed or killed patients has led to substantial improvements in the way medicine is practiced and the development of more rigorous safety protocols that protect patients and prevent negligent acts.
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1 Center for Justice & Democracy, Tort Litigation and Juries: By the Numbers (2012), http://centerjd.org/content/briefing-book-tort-litigation-and-juries-numbers
2 “Annual Report of the Illinois Courts, Statistical Summary,” 2007 to 2017, http://illinoiscourts.gov/SupremeCourt/AnnReport.asp#2011
3“Collar County Medical Malpractice New Suits,” Law Bulletin Publishing company, reflecting filings through 2018 in 20 Illinois counties including Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kendall, Kane, Madison, St. Clair and Will.
4 ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company annual reports.
5 ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company. https://www.ismie.com/News-and-Publications/Publications/ISMIE-News/2018/0807/ISMIE-Updates-Illinois-Premium-Rates-for-2018-19/
6 Ibid.
7 Net Income is down due to increased competition by many more insurers writing malpractice insurance in Illinois.
PDF Fact Sheet: Medical Malpractice Filings Way Down – Insurance Company Profits Up
