Psychiatric Malpractice: A Review of the National Loss Experience

The authors examined the outcome of 217 malpractice actions against psychiatrists from 1974-1978. Claims against psychiatrists represented only 0.3% of the 71,788 claims against all physicians. Over 1/3 of the claims were closed without payment; the average paid indemnity was $31,000. Diagnostic errors & suicide were the major sources of loss. Only a few cases went to trial. These data illustrate that psychiatry has one of the best malpractice claim records.