List: States with highest medical malpractice cases

Louisiana tops the list, with an average of 33.88 reports per 100,000 people annually, while Idaho has the fewest, ranking last

September 20, 2024 11:56 AM

By EMS1 Staff

A new study reveals Louisiana leads the U.S. with the highest rate of medical malpractice reports, while Idaho ranks lowest.

Ohio-based personal injury law firm John Fitch published findings on medical malpractice trends across the United States, analyzing data from the National Practitioner Data Bank for 2019 to 2023. The study ranks states by the number of reports made against healthcare practitioners, adjusted per 100,000 residents. Louisiana tops the list, with an average of 33.88 reports per 100,000 people annually, while Idaho has the fewest, ranking 50th.

Louisiana experienced 7,823 reports over the five-year period, with a consistent yearly high compared to other states. Colorado followed in second place, with an average of 29.70 reports per 100,000 people. Kansas, third in the rankings, had an average of 27.96 reports annually. Wyoming and Oregon took fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Rank	State	Average reports per 100,00 residents per year
1	Louisiana	33.88
2	Colorado	29.70
3	Kansas	27.96
4	Wyoming	27.37
5	Oregon	24.91
6	Alaska	23.27
7	West Virginia	23.12
8	Maine	23.03
9	Ohio	22.57
10	Michigan	21.64

The study also highlights the changing trends in certain states. For example, Colorado saw a decline in malpractice reports, dropping from 31.78 reports per 100,000 people in 2019 to 26.69 in 2023. In contrast, Alaska, ranked sixth, showed a steady increase in the number of reports, with 206 cases in 2023.

This data provides a clear view of the states facing the highest challenges with medical malpractice.

Rank	State	Average reports per 100,00 residents per year
1	Louisiana	33.88
2	Colorado	29.7
3	Kansas	27.96
4	Wyoming	27.37
5	Oregon	24.91
6	Alaska	23.27
7	West Virginia	23.12
8	Maine	23.03
9	Ohio	22.57
10	Michigan	21.64
11	Alabama	21.33
12	Kentucky	20.66
13	Arkansas	20.43
14	North Dakota	20.28
15	Washington	19.78
16	Arizona	18.36
17	Vermont	18.17
18	Oklahoma	17.92
19	Delaware	17.63
20	Nebraska	17.17
21	Nevada	16.78
22	Florida	16.07
23	New Mexico	15.87
24	Maryland	15.67
25	Mississippi	15.63
26	Virginia	15.57
27	Tennessee	15.09
28	Texas	14.81
29	Pennsylvania	14.37
30	Montana	14.05
31	Utah	13.68
32	South Dakota	13.50
33	Indiana	13.32
34	Illinois	13.30
35	South Carolina	13.24
36	New Jersey	13.02
37	California	13.00
38	Wisconsin	12.86
39	New Hampshire	12.57
40	Iowa	12.48
41	Georgia	12.02
42	Minnesota	11.88
43	Rhode Island	11.83
44	Massachusetts	11.72
45	New York	11.19
46	Missouri	10.89
47	Connecticut	9.97
48	North Carolina	9.53
49	Hawaii	7.40
50	Idaho	6.46

EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.