According to statistics recently published by the Administrative Offices of Pennsylvania Courts, 1,508 medical malpractice cases were filed in Pennsylvania in 2012, down 167, or approximately 10%, from the previous year.
This number represents a 44.8% decline from the average number of filings seen from 2000 to 2002, which was right before the Supreme Court’s enactment of several reforms aimed to curtail medical malpractice filings across Pennsylvania. These reforms consisted of requiring such cases to be brought in the venue where the cause of action arose, and a certificate of merit from a medical professional to be obtained prior to filing.
Overall, 133 cases were tried to verdict throughout Pennsylvania, with a total defense verdict rate of almost 80%. Of those cases, 27 were tried in Philadelphia County, with 14 being found in favor of the defense, representing a defense verdict rate of 52%. A 100% defense verdict rate was seen in Montgomery and Chester Counties, which tried 19 and 7 cases, respectively. 6 of 8 cases tried in Delaware county found in favor of the defense, representing a 75% defense verdict rate. Allegheny County saw 10 cases tried to verdict, with 9 finding in favor of the defense.
A comparison of the year-to-year filings in Pennsylvania’s largest counties is as follows:
