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onehandle

(51,122 posts) Wed Nov 4, 2015, 02:36 PM Nov 2015

Ben Carson Was Sued for Malpractice at Least Eight Times

One woman, suffering from multiple sclerosis, claimed Carson failed to review her MRI before performing a risky neurosurgical procedure.

Ben Carson had a pretty remarkable track record for a job that involved slicing people’s heads open.

In his three-decade-long career as a neurosurgeon, Carson, the newly minted leader of the ever-fickle Republican polls, faced a total of eight malpractice claims in the state of Maryland, according to the Maryland Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office.

The HCADRO provided The Daily Beast with the documented claims and verified that these were the only in-state claims they had on file. Their records do not cover any out-of-state claims.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/04/ben-carson-was-sued-for-malpractice-at-least-eight-times.html?via=newsletter&source=DDMorning

3 replies

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Ben Carson Was Sued for Malpractice at Least Eight Times (Original Post) onehandle Nov 2015 OP

The relevant question would be "is that unusual"? jberryhill Nov 2015 #1

How many resulted in a payout? madville Nov 2015 #2

Not that unusual in his field sharp_stick Nov 2015 #3

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)

1. The relevant question would be "is that unusual"?

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Wed Nov 4, 2015, 02:47 PM

Nov 2015

Lots of malpractice claims are filed and lots of claims are settled.

What I'd be interested to know is whether his claim/procedure ratio is unusually high for that specialty. But then, grading doctors on that basis is a reason for refusing to take difficult cases.

madville

(7,412 posts)

2. How many resulted in a payout?

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Wed Nov 4, 2015, 02:48 PM

Nov 2015

That's the better indicator. I recall the average physician faces a malpractice suit every six years but only about 20% of those result in a payout. I also think neurosurgery is the most sued field as well.

sharp_stick

(14,400 posts)

3. Not that unusual in his field

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Wed Nov 4, 2015, 02:51 PM

Nov 2015

It's a very challenging field and malpractice suits and settlements are pretty common.

From the article:

"A 2011 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 19 percent of neurosurgeons deal with some kind of malpractice claim every year, compared to an average of 5 percent of doctors in family medicine and 3 percent of pediatricians."

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