Psychiatry and Neurology Claims

During the period 1980-1985, the largest number of psychiatric cases & the one generating the biggest dollar payouts involved the question of whether or not a patient with suicidal tendencies should be committed. The majority of cases stemmed from attempts made after a patient was committed, but there were also some cases which alleged that a patient should have been committed to prevent suicide. 21% of claims were related to incarceration/suicide attempts; these accounted for 42% of payouts.