SC Tops for Doctors: “Least Punitive” State for Medical Malpractice

An article released by Forbes Magazine provides some sobering realizations. South Carolina is a great state for doctors to practice in- in fact, the best in the country. Unfortunately, that doesn't make it the best state to be a patient in, because what makes it good for doctors how often doctors face serious disciplinary actions from the state medical board. It doesn't mean that medical malpractice doesn't happen, or that doctors do as they should all the time, only that they might not always face consequences for their actions when they're negligent. How South Carolina Became the "Least Punitive State" Researchers at WalletHub compiled data from numerous sources to determine which states were the best ones for doctors to live in. They do this every year, looking at work environment, as well as opportunity and competition. One of the factors considered for work environment is how often doctors are severely reprimanded for their actions by the state medical board. They took that number and divided it by every 1,000 physicians in the state, and then ranked low to high. As noted earlier, South Carolina was the lowest, and it was followed by The District of Columbia, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, respectively. The states with the most reprimands were Wyoming, Louisiana, Ohio, Delaware, and New Mexico. Mistakes and Errors Still Occur Frequently Despite the low rates of corrective action, medical malpractice in Charleston happens all too often. Another factor used in determining the best states for doctors was payouts for injuries caused by negligence. Concerning cases across the country, the incidents involve:

1. Diagnostic error (33%)
2. Surgery (24%)
3. Treatment (19%)
4. Obstetrics (11%)
5. Medication (5%)
6. Monitoring (3%)
7. Other issues (5%)

Death Accounts for Most Money Paid Out, But Other Injuries Have Higher Individual Rates According to the data pulled, more money went to cases that involved death. In total, about 30% of the funds dispersed nationwide went to fatal injuries caused by medical professionals. Although that may not be overly surprising, families of the deceased received less on average than injured individuals. The national average per injury type is as follows:

• $944,644 average payout to those with brain damage, quadriplegics, and those in need of lifetime care
• $574,344 average payout to those with major permanent injuries
• $426,918 average payout to those with significant permanent injuries
• $533,231 average payout in fatal cases

Charleston Medical Malpractice Attorney

Mistakes happen whether you're in the "least punitive" state or not. Unless an injured patient seeks reparations for the harm a medical professional has caused, he's the one who foots the bill. That's simply not right at all. Doctors should be held accountable for their actions, and courts do compel them to pay damages when it's been found that they've been negligent. If you were hurt because a medical professional did not perform as he should, you may be entitled to reparations, and your case may help ensure the doctor does not hurt someone else in the same manner. For a free consultation, please contact us online or speak to one of our lawyers by calling 1(800)610-2546.