Kentucky Medical Malpractice Information

  • What is the average medical malpractice settlement in Kentucky?

    The average medical malpractice payment in Kentucky for 2022 was $310,175. Going back to 2004, the average malpractice payment in the database is $277,550.

  • How many medical malpractice settlements have there been in Kentucky?

    In 2022, there were 161 medical malpractice payments made in Kentucky. Among all of the various jurisdictions, this ranked number 21 out of 59 in terms of raw numbers, but when viewed in terms of claims per capita, Kentucky ranked number 21 of 59, which includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Armed Forces populations.

  • What is the most common type of medical malpractice claim in Kentucky?

    Across the country, the most common allegations giving rise to medical malpractice payments are "Failure to Diagnose" and "Improper Performance." Kentucky is among those jurisdictions for which the top allegation appearing in the database is "Improper Performance." The second most frequent allegation appearing for Kentucky in the database is "Failure to Diagnose."

  • Which type of healthcare provider pays the most medical malpractice claims in Kentucky?

    Among all claims, the vast majority (about 70%) of the payments are associated with care provided by MDs. Kentucky is no exception. The second highest type of healthcare provider associated with malpractice claims in Kentucky is a dentist.

A few notes about this: The database only shows which claims were paid and does not include claims that were presented but rejected. Also, the database does not include payments by non-providers like health systems and hospitals. There are also some number of claims that go unreported each year. Finally, the information contained in the reports is self-reported by the providers, their insurance companies, and other provider representatives.
Kentucky Medical Malpractice Payment Amounts By Year
Kentucky Medical Malpractice Payments By Year

The Largest Medical Malpractice Payments for Kentucky (2004-2022)

YearStateAmountAllegationFull Report
2007Kentucky$7,950,000Unnecessary Procedure
2020Kentucky$6,450,000Failure to Diagnose
2008Kentucky$5,950,000Improper Management
2011Kentucky$5,950,000Improper Choice of Delivery Method
2017Kentucky$5,750,000Improper Performance
2017Kentucky$5,350,000Unnecessary Treatment
2016Kentucky$5,250,000Delay in Diagnosis
2012Kentucky$5,150,000Failure to Diagnose
2021Kentucky$4,950,000Improper Management
2007Kentucky$4,750,000Failure to Diagnose

Kentucky Statistics at a Glance

Average Payment (2004-2022): $277,550

Total Payments in Database (2004-2022): 2,832

Average Payment (2022): $310,175

Total Number of Payments (2022): 161

Rank in Average Payment (2022): 40

Rank in Number of Payments Per Capita (2022): 21 of 59 Jurisdictions

Most Common Allegation (2022): Improper Performance

Most Common Allegation in 2021: Improper Performance

Most Common Nature of Claim (2022): Surgery Related - 29% of all payments

Type of Provider with Most Payments: Physician (MD)

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