Checking a doctor’s past malpractice claims

Not generally well known is the fact that the Florida Department of Insurance maintains a database of liability claims against physicians that’s freely available to the public. Every year, doctors and their insurers must report any claim, final judgment, settlement, insurance payment and any claims handling expense in excess of $5,000.00.

– They must report:
– The name and address of the doctor
– His or her insurance coverage.
– The date of the occurrence
– The date of the claim
– The injured person’s name, address, age and sex (which is confidential and not a public record),
– The other doctors involved in the claim
– The date and amount of any judgment or settlement
– A summary of the occurrence creating the claim, including the name of the institution where it occurred
– The diagnosis and/or misdiagnosis
– The operation or procedure, and
– Injury involved

In our medical malpractice cases, we routinely consult this site for intelligence about the physician whom we are investigating, or the ranges of settlement being made by the insurance company. Check out the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Medical Professional Liability Claims here.