Eighty-two percent of orthopedic surgeons have been named as a sole or co-defendant in a malpractice lawsuit at some point in their careers, according to Medscape's 2023 "Physicians and Malpractice Report," published Oct. 26.
Orthopedic surgeons are the second most likely specialty to face a malpractice lawsuit, following general surgeons and OB-GYNs.
Physicians practicing in Louisiana are more likely to face malpractice lawsuits than physicians in other states, according to the report.
The most common cause of malpractice lawsuits is a failure to diagnose a patient or a delay in diagnosing a patient.