Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Information

  • What is the average medical malpractice settlement in Pennsylvania?

    The average medical malpractice payment in Pennsylvania for 2022 was $398,437. Going back to 2004, the average malpractice payment in the database is $358,533.

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

    In 2022, there were 671 medical malpractice payments made in Pennsylvania. Among all of the various jurisdictions, this ranked number 4 out of 59 in terms of raw numbers, but when viewed in terms of claims per capita, Pennsylvania ranked number 9 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 Pennsylvania?

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

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

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

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.
Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Payment Amounts By Year
Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Payments By Year

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

YearStateAmountAllegationFull Report
2015Pennsylvania$27,500,000Failure to Diagnose
2014Pennsylvania$17,500,000Failure to Delay a Case When Indicated
2016Pennsylvania$17,500,000Failure to Recognize a Complication
2018Pennsylvania$17,500,000Failure to Diagnose
2019Pennsylvania$14,500,000Failure to Diagnose
2019Pennsylvania$10,500,000Improper Performance
2009Pennsylvania$9,450,000Contraindicated Procedure
2010Pennsylvania$8,950,000Improper Management
2020Pennsylvania$8,950,000Improper Management
2015Pennsylvania$8,450,000Failure to Order Appropriate Medication

Pennsylvania Statistics at a Glance

Average Payment (2004-2022): $358,533

Total Payments in Database (2004-2022): 17,392

Average Payment (2022): $398,437

Total Number of Payments (2022): 671

Rank in Average Payment (2022): 25

Rank in Number of Payments Per Capita (2022): 9 of 59 Jurisdictions

Most Common Allegation (2022): Failure to Diagnose

Most Common Allegation in 2021: Failure to Diagnose

Most Common Nature of Claim (2022): Diagnosis Related - 33% of all payments

Type of Provider with Most Payments: Physician (MD)

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