Tennessee Medical Malpractice Information

  • What is the average medical malpractice settlement in Tennessee?

    The average medical malpractice payment in Tennessee for 2022 was $289,169. Going back to 2004, the average malpractice payment in the database is $265,595.

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

    In 2022, there were 124 medical malpractice payments made in Tennessee. Among all of the various jurisdictions, this ranked number 27 out of 59 in terms of raw numbers, but when viewed in terms of claims per capita, Tennessee ranked number 44 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 Tennessee?

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

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

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

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

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

YearStateAmountAllegationFull Report
2014Tennessee$5,750,000Failure to Diagnose
2009Tennessee$4,950,000Failure to Diagnose
2014Tennessee$4,950,000Delay in Treatment of Identified Fetal Distress
2015Tennessee$4,950,000Failure to Diagnose
2012Tennessee$4,650,000Failure to Monitor
2009Tennessee$4,050,000Delay in Diagnosis
2017Tennessee$3,950,000Product Liability
2014Tennessee$3,750,000Failure to Recognize a Complication
2006Tennessee$3,150,000Failure to Identify Fetal Distress
2006Tennessee$2,950,000Failure to Diagnose

Tennessee Statistics at a Glance

Average Payment (2004-2022): $265,595

Total Payments in Database (2004-2022): 3,233

Average Payment (2022): $289,169

Total Number of Payments (2022): 124

Rank in Average Payment (2022): 43

Rank in Number of Payments Per Capita (2022): 44 of 59 Jurisdictions

Most Common Allegation (2022): Improper Performance

Most Common Allegation in 2021: Improper Performance

Most Common Nature of Claim (2022): Treatment Related - 34% of all payments

Type of Provider with Most Payments: Physician (MD)

Contact Us