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History of Malpractice Litigation in the United States

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Litigation in Otolaryngology

Abstract

The medical malpractice system in the United States intends to make healthcare safer by serving three functions: deter negligence, compensate plaintiffs injured by negligence, and promote corrective justice to rectify wrongfulness caused by negligence. However, the current system is widely regarded as inefficient, ineffective, and costly. This chapter first provides an overview of the historical evolution of the medical liability system. We then discuss its various costs not only to the healthcare system but also to patients and physicians. We examine the emergence of defensive medicine and the effects of malpractice on physicians’ mental health as well as on patients’ access to healthcare and the overall quality of healthcare received. Finally, this chapter summarizes past and present malpractice tort reform legislation and its influence on the healthcare system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Sei Y. Chung

  2. Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

    Christina H. Fang & Jordon G. Grube

  3. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

    Jean Anderson Eloy

  4. Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, Neurological Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

    Jean Anderson Eloy

  5. Department of Neurological Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

    Jean Anderson Eloy

  6. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

    Jean Anderson Eloy

  7. Department of Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery, Saint Barnabas Medical Center – RWJBarnabas Health, Livingston, NJ, USA

    Jean Anderson Eloy

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  1. Sei Y. Chung
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  2. Christina H. Fang
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  3. Jordon G. Grube
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  4. Jean Anderson Eloy
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

    Jean Anderson Eloy

  2. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ, USA

    Peter F. Svider

  3. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

    Soly Baredes

  4. Kelly,, Rode & Kelly, LLP, Mineola, NY, USA

    Shawn P. Kelly

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Chung, S.Y., Fang, C.H., Grube, J.G., Eloy, J.A. (2021). History of Malpractice Litigation in the United States. In: Eloy, J.A., Svider, P.F., Baredes, S., Kelly, S.P. (eds) Litigation in Otolaryngology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64418-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64418-5_2

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-64418-5

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