Malpractice and radiologists.

Malpractice liability has become an unavoidable concern of most radiologists. Much has been written on the definition and causes of malpractice, the legal mechanics of a malpractice lawsuit, what to do after getting sued, and how to avoid a lawsuit in the first place. But there is little documentation on incidence of malpractice suits filed against radiologists and other physicians involved with radiologic procedures. In an effort to provide some practical perpectives of the malpractice problem and how it relates to the users of ionizing radiation, this report reviews all such lawsuits filed in the past 5 years in a large metropolitan region.