Ambulance Chasers vs. Tennessee Medical Malpractice Attorneys

In recent years the American court systems have been reminded of why Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys are sometimes called ambulance chasers. There has been a huge surge in the number Medical Malpractice cases filed (nearly 19,000 in 2002 according to the Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS) though the number of cases won by alleged injured plaintiffs has remained low, between 25 and 30 percent.

Approximately 25% of all U.S. doctors are sued annually, giving doctors a one in four chance of being sued for every year in practice, and it is estimated that between 50 and 65% of all doctors in the United States are sued at least once in their career.

Of all the malpractice payment reports made worldwide in 2002, over 80% of those payments were made by United States doctors with the whole rest of the world accounting for just 20% of all payments made for malpractice.

The implications of these numbers can be interpreted differently. On the one hand, American patients seem to be much more willing to fight to protect their rights, largely encouraged by the above mentioned Ambulance Chasers, or Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys. On the other hand, the majority of those cases don't seem to be particularly substantial as so few are won.

Actual medical malpractice is a serious offense and occurs when a doctor or a member of medical staff fails to use appropriate care, and results in injury to the patient. In must be proven without a reasonable doubt that the injuries were caused by the medical error, or are injuries that would not otherwise have occurred.

Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys require extensive resources to prosecute medical malpractice cases successfully. In a medical malpractice case, the plaintiff (injured party) must prove by irrefutable evidence and through qualified expert testimony that injuries were caused by negligence or incorrect treatment by a medical professional.

Given the nature of most medical errors, there may be multiple experts involved in a case and it will involve many hours of extensive research, discovery, and court appearances. Because of the recent surge in unfounded medical malpractice cases Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys are particularly careful as they review cases referred to them and are highly selective about the cases they accept and choose to prosecute.

If you honestly believe you, or a member of your family, has been the victim of a medical error that has caused a serious injury, contact a Tennessee medical malpractice attorney for a consultation and consider carefully before choosing to prosecute.