Examining Top Reasons for Litigation Against Dermatologists

Background: Medical malpractice lawsuits are increasing in the United States, and it is unclear what claims are being brought against dermatologists. Objective: To investigate the reasons patients seek litigation against dermatology practices or dermatologists. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: The authors used 2 national legal data repositories to gather litigation data. They queried both state and federal cases where a dermatologist was the defendant and analyzed all litigations against dermatologists in the United States between 2011 and 2022. Results: There were 48 claims against dermatologists during the study period. No trends were identified in the number of lawsuits between 2011 and 2022. Of all claims, 64.6% were filed against male dermatologists and most of these were filed by female patients. A total of 19 cases concluded in favor of the plaintiff, with payouts ranging from $15,000 to $1,950,000. In 4 cases, the main health care operator was a physician assistant or ae more...