But if you remember nothing else, remember this,” he declared, pulling up a slide of a cartoon with the caption: “Kill as few patients as possible!” “I rarely get the opportunity to tell doctors what I personally think. Levitz, who has presided over 10 malpractice cases in the past 14 years, gave the perspective from the bench.

Kidwell, Hopkins’ managing attorney for claims and litigation, decided to give the sessions some spark by bringing in plaintiff and defense attorneys, even doctors who have been sued. And a 1999 federal report named medical errors as one of the leading causes of death in the United States.Īt Hopkins, physicians are required to attend these “risk management” seminars once every two years. Studies show that only 2 percent to 3 percent of people who are hurt will ever sue, but the average amount of money awarded in malpractice cases has increased. In the past several years, as the health care industry tries to better defend itself against malpractice claims, seminars like this one have become a staple of hospitals and medical societies across the country. “And court is a place you don’t want to go.” If you live long enough, you will be sued,” Levitz warned, his voice booming out over the room. “Malpractice claims are like prostate cancer in men. Baltimore Sun eNewspaper Home Page Close Menu

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