We first discussed this issue in our August 24th piece,
New York Doctors Discuss Defensive vs. Ideal Medicine. There, we pointed out that physicians, fearful of medical malpractice lawsuits, may avoid implementing what could otherwise be the best courses of treatment for a given patient. After all, doctors wish to avoid suits, and so they wish to minimize their own risk exposure. Now, we are looking at another farther-reaching implication, of similar concerns. As
PointofLaw contends, a given state's malpractice environment may prompt upcoming, talented physicians to avoid practicing in some states altogether. Simply put, young doctors would rather avoid practicing in states with high malpractice risk exposure. As such, legal concerns may be chasing the good doctors out of state. This is another facet of the legal web woven by
personal injury and medical malpractice law.
