Do doctors have to pay out of pocket for medical negligence?

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Question:

Do doctors have to pay out of pocket for medical negligence? If they do, can they continue to practice medicine if they lose a medical malpractice lawsuit?

Answer: (1)

No, doctors will not have to pay out of pocket if they lose a medical malpractice case. Medical professionals carry medical malpractice insurance, which will be the entity that defends any lawsuits and pays out in the event of a lost case or settlement.

It works just like your car insurance policy. If you were to cause an accident through negligent driving, then your insurance company would pay for all the damages that you had caused. Similarly, if a doctor causes a patient an injury due to medical negligence, his or her medical malpractice insurance company will have medical malpractice defense attorneys defend the claim, and pay out a settlement, or court award as necessary.

As far as the doctor is concerned, he or she will continue to practice medicine, and not be financially or professional impacted by the lawsuit. It is only in cases of gross negligence, where a doctors performance is deemed to be evidence that he or she should not be practicing medicine due to a danger to patients, that the medical licensed may be revoked.

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