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List: States with highest medical malpractice cases

Louisiana tops the list, with an average of 33.88 reports per 100,000 people annually, while Idaho has the fewest, ranking last

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By ²ÝݮӰÊÓ Staff

A new study reveals Louisiana leads the U.S. with the highest rate of medical malpractice reports, while Idaho ranks lowest.

published findings on medical malpractice trends across the United States, analyzing data from the National Practitioner Data Bank for 2019 to 2023. The study ranks states by the number of reports made against healthcare practitioners, adjusted per 100,000 residents. Louisiana tops the list, with an average of 33.88 reports per 100,000 people annually, while Idaho has the fewest, ranking 50th.

Louisiana experienced 7,823 reports over the five-year period, with a consistent yearly high compared to other states. Colorado followed in second place, with an average of 29.70 reports per 100,000 people. Kansas, third in the rankings, had an average of 27.96 reports annually. Wyoming and Oregon took fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Rank
State
Average reports per 100,00 residents per year
1
Louisiana
33.88
2
Colorado
29.70
3
Kansas
27.96
4
Wyoming
27.37
5
Oregon
24.91
6
Alaska
23.27
7
West Virginia
23.12
8
Maine
23.03
9
Ohio
22.57
10
Michigan
21.64

The study also highlights the changing trends in certain states. For example, Colorado saw a decline in malpractice reports, dropping from 31.78 reports per 100,000 people in 2019 to 26.69 in 2023. In contrast, Alaska, ranked sixth, showed a steady increase in the number of reports, with 206 cases in 2023.

This data provides a clear view of the states facing the highest challenges with medical malpractice.

Rank
State
Average reports per 100,00 residents per year
1
Louisiana
33.88
2
Colorado
29.7
3
Kansas
27.96
4
Wyoming
27.37
5
Oregon
24.91
6
Alaska
23.27
7
West Virginia
23.12
8
Maine
23.03
9
Ohio
22.57
10
Michigan
21.64
11
Alabama
21.33
12
Kentucky
20.66
13
Arkansas
20.43
14
North Dakota
20.28
15
Washington
19.78
16
Arizona
18.36
17
Vermont
18.17
18
Oklahoma
17.92
19
Delaware
17.63
20
Nebraska
17.17
21
Nevada
16.78
22
Florida
16.07
23
New Mexico
15.87
24
Maryland
15.67
25
Mississippi
15.63
26
Virginia
15.57
27
Tennessee
15.09
28
Texas
14.81
29
Pennsylvania
14.37
30
Montana
14.05
31
Utah
13.68
32
South Dakota
13.50
33
Indiana
13.32
34
Illinois
13.30
35
South Carolina
13.24
36
New Jersey
13.02
37
California
13.00
38
Wisconsin
12.86
39
New Hampshire
12.57
40
Iowa
12.48
41
Georgia
12.02
42
Minnesota
11.88
43
Rhode Island
11.83
44
Massachusetts
11.72
45
New York
11.19
46
Missouri
10.89
47
Connecticut
9.97
48
North Carolina
9.53
49
Hawaii
7.40
50
Idaho
6.46

²ÝݮӰÊÓ is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.