Why does it *seem* like doctors in the US have to be more concerned about getting sued than doctors in Canada?

Question

Is this even a valid observation?

I am not from the US. But, I wonder, *if* this is true, why this is?

Is it simply because many medical costs come out of the patient's pocket, therefore, a doctor's error costs the patient more money?

Answer 1

You are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...  right in what you have said, that is what is known as sue happy society and as mentioned above there are so many attorneys tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

Answer 2

Everybody in the US has to worry about being sued. It's as much a national pastime as hockey is in Canada. Doctors are a popular target because they have deep pockets, and our tort law system allows huge awards for marginal injuries. Additionally, expert panels have studied the issue: though the great majority of malpractice doesn't lead to a suit, the presence of malpractice and the finding of guilt in court are unrelated, and there's always the chance the innocent will settle just to avoid the risk of a huge verdict.

I suspect in Canada there's still a general sense of the doctor as the professional, with expertise. In the US, the idea of equality has gone so far that a large segment of the population don't recognize the concept of expertise at all. With no respect, the relationships are strained.

Another cultural factor is that many Americans assume technology can fix all ills, so that when things go wrong, then somebody must be at fault. There's no room for acts of God or random occurrences.

Answer 3

more lawyers in US?  I don't know.  People seem like they are more likely to sue here in the US so it probably happens more so doctors are more afraid of being sued.