United States | Medical malpractice

The wrong sort of clinical trials

A new law in Pennsylvania may leave doctors a little better protected

|Philadelphia

WHEN it comes to suing doctors, Philadelphia is hardly the city of brotherly love. A combination of sprightly lawyers and sympathetic juries has made Philadelphia a hotspot for medical-malpractice lawsuits. Since 1995, Pennsylvania state courts have awarded an average of $2m in such cases, according to Jury Verdict Research, a survey firm. Some medical specialists have seen their malpractice insurance premiums nearly double over the past year. Obstetricians are now paying up to $104,000 a year to protect themselves.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “The wrong sort of clinical trials”

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