According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and findings by Harvard University, most doctors will face malpractice lawsuits by the time they are 65 years-old, 99%, in fact, in high-risk fields. 75% of doctors that practice medicine in low-risk fields can also expect a lawsuit sometime in their career. That’s about 7.4% of doctors a year.

Nearly 41,000 doctors were studied between 1991 and 2005. Experts believe that these high chances for a lawsuit that could be costly and ruin their reputation causes physicians to practice defensive medicine, like performing more procedures and ordering more tests than what might be necessary. Some believe this contributes to the rising cost of health care.

If you have suffered an injury due to medical malpractice, contact the Des Moines medical malpractice lawyers at LaMarca & Landry, P.C. at 877-327-2600.