Collateral sources of care. As a result, malpractice settlements don't have to pay for the same care twice. Limited contingency fees. Legal fees are set by a sliding scale. The bad news is that both jury awards and settlements for malpractice are on the rise.
Analysts say that increases are due in part to dramatic changes in the perceived value of money.
When you keep hearing about people paying cash for expensive homes, a million dollars just doesn't seem like that much money anymore. Experts think that juries are also mirroring the public's frustration with health care in general. According to jury exit polls and mock trials that insurers are increasingly holding, that frustration is eroding juries' traditional esteem for physicians. We think juries are trying to send a strong message.