Medical malpractice awards are on the rise.
Between 2013 and 2023, there was a roughly 67% increase in medical malpractice verdicts of $10 million or more, according to data from TransRe. In 2023, the average award in the top 50 medical malpractice verdicts was $48 million, compared to $32 million in 2022.
The awards are meant to help patients and families who have suffered, but much of it can go to other parties involved in the suit. In some states, up to 40% of the award goes to the plaintiff’s attorney, not the plaintiff. A share of the award might also go to the hedge funds and other investors who helped the attorneys pay for the litigation.
According to a study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, just 53 cents of every dollar paid in the tort system ultimately makes it to the claimant.
Proponents of tort reform also warn that large awards raise costs elsewhere. Doctors worried about lawsuits might practice “defensive medicine,” performing unnecessary tests on patients just to prove all bases were covered. One study found defensive medicine boosts U.S. healthcare costs by at least $55 billion a year.
Large awards can also increase insurance premiums for medical professionals, with the costs passed down to patients.
The slideshow above looks at the largest medical malpractice verdicts in 2025 so far, according to the Expert Institute.
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