Judicial Paradises

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epiepishockMD

Full Member
5+ Year Member
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So this is going to be the opposite of the recent post on high risk medicolegal environments.

Would anyone be willing to comment on the general perception that working for the government (ie. indian health service, VA, etc) is low risk medicolegally because plaintiffs would have to go after the government before the doc.

Also, are there any other health systems, practice environments/models, regions that particularly excellent for EPs.
 
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I was partner of a 100+ doc SDG in Texas for 15 yrs. In the 15 yrs, I do not know of one single Malpractice case that we lost. I am sure there may be one or two that slipped my email box, but I would be shocked if there were more than the fingers on my right hand.
 
Huh, I've heard a lot of love for Texas, but haven't come across anyone singing the praises of Indiana's malpractice climate. If anyone can elaborate, I'd love to hear more details. Thanks!

I have lived in both. Indiana has the worst of all worlds. Bitter cold with snow in the Winter, tons of rain in the Fall, and then hot, sticky, humid in the Summer.
 
Heard Kansas was good due to the hard caps. Nebraska is good too, but has a higher 1.75M Cap, but the lowest premiums in the country ( people maybe not as likely to sue?)
 
1. I was a resident in Ohio. It sucked in terms of weather, but it wasn't unGodly terrible.
2. Ohio is actually a really "good" medicolegal state.
3. Ohio really has a lot of diverse microclimates. I say this as a native west Pennsylvanian who has family all over Ohio. Cleveland is a "snow city". Southeast is redneck/mountain country. Northwest is "midwest" with its endless farmfields and relentless cold wind. Southwest is half sheltered by being away from the lakes, and half "Kentucky hills".

Ohio is a bizarre place.
 
Anyone out there ever work for Indian Health Service, VA, or Kaiser? Truly impossible to get sued?

My understanding is that if you are employed directly by the IHS or VA then the plaintiff would have to sue the government.

From friends at Kaiser in California I've heard there's mandatory arbitration which sounds like a good way to prevent frivolous lawsuits but I'm not sure if this is something that's still reportable to the national database. These cases can also certainly still go to trial. Maybe somebody else knows more about Kaiser?