Many physicians and tort reform advocates believe that most medical malpractice (“med mal”) claims are “frivolous …”; they often rely on reports that only about 20% of claims result in a payout. Many physicians and reform advocates also … number of defendants they sue. In med mal cases involving only physicians and/or institutions, the mean number of defendants …

caps on recoveries in both tried and settled cases. We also found that physicians faced little personal exposure on … malpractice claims. Out-of-pocket payments (OOPPs) by physicians were rare and usually small. Physicians could reduce their … amount of insurance coverage purchased by physicians with paid claims declined substantially over 1988–1999, consistent with …

in total patient care physicians, increases in specialties that face high liability risk (with a possible exception for … plastic surgeons), nor increases in in rural physicians.The online appendix is available from SSRN at 'http …