Alabama Average Medical Malpractice Settlement

This page examines medical malpractice lawsuits in Alabama, focusing on the amount of money victims get from settlements or jury decisions.

The purpose is to give you an idea of what your medical negligence claim might be worth in a settlement or jury payout. Our lawyers also explain medical malpractice law to you, for you. not as if we were writing to an Alabama malpractice attorney.

If you’re an injury victim looking for compensation in Alabama, it’s essential to know how much money you might expect to get from your claim. After all, the primary goal of a personal injury or wrongful death claim is to get financial compensation.

We’ve created this page to examine how These cases are handled in Alabama. Our medical malpractice attorneys also provide examples of settlement amounts and jury payouts so you can compare them to your own case.

There is one thing to keep in mind. As tempting as it is, don’t assume your case will have the same result as another, even if it seems eerily similar to yours. Every case is unique, and critical factors in your case might not necessarily be apparent in a summary of another seemingly similar lawsuit.

But we still think this will help you better understand jury payouts and settlement amounts in Alabama medical malpractice lawsuits. Looking at similar cases and statistics can still give you a better idea of what your injury claim might be worth. That’s why we’ve compiled this information and why you’re here, even though statistics and examples only give you part of the picture.

Alabama Medical Malpractice Payout Statistics

Because our lawyers handle cases in different jurisdictions, I am keenly interested in average verdicts and settlements in different states. The dynamics of every state are different.

Alabama Jury Verdict Reporter providing average malpractice verdict data in Alabama:

So, while this is information is a bit dated, it is still helpful. The average medical malpractice lawsuit in Alabama that went to trial was $449,474 overall with the plaintiffs winning 30.3% of trials. In trials won by Plaintiff, the average verdict was $1,484,309. (In case this is not clear, the former statistic includes in the average malpractice cases that were lost.

It is very interesting to learn that wrongful death medical malpractice plaintiffs prevailed in only 13.6% of cases, and living (presumably unless they died of an unrelated cause before trial) medical malpractice plaintiffs won 44.7% of their cases. But medical malpractice lawyers in Alabama deciding whether to take on a case should note that the average plaintiff’s verdict in wrongful death malpractice cases in Alabama is $4,536,111.

How Alabama Malpractice Settlement Amounts Are Calculated

Settlement amounts in Alabama medical malpractice lawsuits are influenced by various overlapping factors. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key considerations:

• Evidence of Malpractice: A successful Alabama medical malpractice settlement starts here. The strength of the evidence showing that the healthcare provider was negligent and that this negligence caused your injuries will impact the settlement amount. Strong evidence of medical negligence leads to higher settlements.
• Nature and Severity of the Injury: The more severe the injury, the higher the potential settlement amount. This is because serious injuries usually result in significant medical costs, long-term or permanent disability, and substantial pain and suffering.
• Economic Damages:  Malpractice cases with economic damages are the most attractive because economic damages are often an anchor around which juries determine pain and suffering damages. So Alabama jurors, like all jurors, tend to award higher pain and suffering damages in cases with serious economic damages. These damages are the actual out-of-pocket costs that resulted or will result from the medical malpractice. This includes medical bills, future medical care, lost earnings, and the loss of earning capacity.
• Non-Economic Damages: The most significant harm in almost any Alabama medical malpractice lawsuit is pain and suffering. These damages include mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, or loss of companionship in wrongful death cases. These damages are more subjective, which is why you need the best Alabama medical malpractice lawyer you can find to argue to the insurance company (or a jury) why your pain and suffering damages are as significant as claimed.
• Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s Credibility: The jury’s perception of the plaintiff’s honesty and likability can influence the settlement amount. If the jury trusts and sympathizes with the plaintiff, it may award a higher amount. Likewise, a “hatable” doctor can really drive a settlement amount because
• Defendant’s Conduct: If the healthcare provider’s conduct was particularly egregious or reckless, it could increase the potential settlement amount. In some cases, punitive damages may be awarded to punish the defendant and deter similar conduct in the future.
• Medical Expert Testimony: Effective and convincing testimony from medical experts supporting your claim can significantly enhance your case’s value.
• Insurance Policy Limits: The defendant’s malpractice insurance policy limit can also impact the settlement amount. Even if the case is strong, the settlement may be capped by the policy limits.
• Ability to Prove Damages: Providing clear, compelling evidence of the damages suffered can significantly impact the settlement amount.

Alabama Medical Malpractice Settlements and Verdicts

• $21,000,000 Verdict (2023 Alabama): The infant was born with Hirschsprung’s Disease in the rectum and subsequently died due to sepsis after presenting to an emergency room with signs and symptoms of colonic obstruction. The lawsuit contended that the emergency room nurses and doctors deviated from the standard of care in failing to timely diagnose and treat colonic obstruction and Hirschsprung’s Disease, failing to perform an adequate physical examination or diagnostic workup of the infant, failing to order a barium enema, and negligently diagnosing him as suffering from simple constipation.
• $300,000 Settlement (2022 Alabama): The plaintiff, a female high school student, was supposed to have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, but the defendant surgeon mistakenly performed the surgical procedure on his left knee instead. The right knee had been marked in pre-op, but the left knee had been prepped for surgery. The case settled for $300,000.   A part of the settlement amount in a case like this is the plaintiff’s youth. Young plaintiffs get higher payouts in a malpractice claim like this.
• $9,000,000 Verdict (2020 Alabama): A woman’s estate alleged that she died after three physicians failed to diagnose her pulmonary emboli. A month and a half before her death, she consulted a physician about birth control. She then underwent a test to determine her blood clot risk because of her mother’s medical history. The woman tested positive for Factor V Leiden, a gene mutation that put her at risk for blood clots. She was never informed of the results and was prescribed birth control pills about two weeks later. A month later, the woman presented to urgent care, complaining of shortness of breath, chest pain, a cough, headaches, and a sore throat. The urgent care physician diagnosed her with bronchitis and prescribed antibiotics. Two days later, the woman visited the same urgent care facility, complaining of shortness of breath and sharp chest pain. She came under the care of another physician, who failed to physically examine her. Instead, she underwent a complete blood count test, received leukocytosis and dyspnea, and was prescribed an inhaler. The woman died of a pulmonary embolism the following day. Her estate alleged that the physicians failed to chart her medical history, failed to perform a complete physical examination, failed to diagnose her with pulmonary emboli, and failed to assess her pulmonary emboli risk. The jury ruled in favor of the estate and awarded a $9,000,000 verdict.
• 2$30,000,000 Verdict (2019 Alabama): A 24-year-old man’s estate alleged that he died in the emergency room while waiting for a surgeon. He was brought to the emergency room after having sustained a gunshot wound to his back. The on-call trauma surgeon was notified of the man’s condition before he arrived. Upon arrival, the surgeon was paged to the emergency room. He responded that he was in surgery and told the ER physician to page another surgeon. No other surgeons were available, and he was paged again. The surgeon responded that he had just begun another surgery. Upon being paged again, he directed the ER physician to transfer to another hospital because his injuries were too severe to treat at the hospital. The surgeon notified the emergency room staff that he would visit the ER for a surgical consultation. However, he never arrived, and the man died ten minutes later. His estate sued the trauma surgeon and the hospital for failing to timely diagnose and treat the man’s condition and failing to order an immediate surgical procedure. The Tuscaloosa County jury ruled in favor of the estate and awarded $30,000,000 in punitive damages.
• $11,000,000 Settlement (2019 Alabama): A 60-year-old tugboat’s deckhand alleged he had several parts of his body amputated after an urgent care facility in Jacksonville, Florida, mismanaged his care. His employer sent him to the facility to treat his chest pain, coughing, and shortness of breath. He underwent a chest X-ray. However, before the imaging could be interpreted, the man was diagnosed with bronchitis and was prescribed azithromycin. Within hours, he returned to the facility after they contacted him. They informed him that he had pneumonia, not bronchitis. The facility staff also told him to continue taking his azithromycin. They also permitted him to fly home to Alabama. During the flight, he went into septic shock and collapsed. Shortly after landing, an ambulance brought him to the hospital. The hospital staff gave him several different kinds of antibiotics. Within several days, his fingers and toes developed gangrene. Weeks later, he underwent five operations to amputate parts of his right foot, his left leg, and his fingers. After being hospitalized for two months, he was admitted to a rehabilitation facility, where he received inpatient treatment for two additional months. He eventually was fitted with a prosthetic left leg and right foot. The man sued his employer, alleging that, under maritime law, maritime employers were liable for the malpractice of the medical facilities they chose to treat their employees. He also alleged that the urgent care facility misdiagnosed his pneumonia and failed to consider his pre-existing arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). The man claimed that they prescribed him the wrong antibiotic and wrongly permitted him to fly. This case settled for $11,000,000.
• $250,000 Verdict (2018 Alabama): A woman’s estate alleged that she died after the cardiac surgeon mismanaged her thoracotomy. They claimed that the surgeon negligently inserted the thoracoport trocar into her heart, which caused her to bleed to death. The estate filed a wrongful death claim against the surgeon less than two years after her death. They also filed an amended complaint against the surgeon’s employer. The surgeon was eventually dismissed from the case with prejudice, and the case went to trial against his employer. A Montgomery County jury awarded the estate a $250,000 verdict.

Alabama Medical Malpractice Laws

Below is a general overview of Alabama’s medical malpractice laws.

Alabama 2-Year Statute of Limitations in Medical Malpractice Cases

In Alabama, medical malpractice cases are subject to a 2-year statute of limitations. This means that prospective plaintiffs in personal injury cases must file their lawsuit within two years of the date that the injury or accident occurred. If the lawsuit is not filed within two years, the plaintiff loses their right to file suit. Ala. Code § 6-2-38

Many exceptions can extend the 2-year limitation period. For example, if the plaintiff is a minor (under age 18) when the injury occurs, the 2-year SOL period does not begin to run until they turn 18. So minors have until their 20^th birthday to file a lawsuit. Many other exceptions may apply. So you should consult an Alabama malpractice lawyer about the applicability of the statute of limitations to your case. Do this soon. So many clients assume they have an exception that must apply. But the deadline to file is generally very strict. Alabama courts will allow for a grave injustice of your access to justice if you miss the deadline to file an Alabama medical malpractice lawsuit.

Alabama’s Contributory Negligence Rule

In shared fault cases (where the plaintiff is partly to blame for their injury), Alabama is among the small minority of states that continue to follow the old tort law rule of contributory negligence. Most states follow the modern rule called comparative negligence, under which the plaintiff’s damages are simply reduced by their percentage share of fault (i.e. if the plaintiff is 10% at-fault their damages are reduced by 10%).

Under Alabama’s contributory negligence rule, however, if a plaintiff is found to have any share of fault for the injuries, they will be completely barred from recovering any damages at all. So even if the defendant is 98% at fault and the plaintiff is just 2% at fault, the plaintiff would be barred entirely from recovering damages.

Elements of a Medical Malpractice Claim in Alabama

Under the Alabama Medical Liability Act of 1987, specifically Ala. Code § 6-5-548(a), a plaintiff in a medical malpractice lawsuit is required to demonstrate with substantial evidence that the healthcare provider did not maintain the level of care, skill, and diligence that other similar professionals in the same field typically provide in similar situations.

To successfully bring a medical malpractice claim in Alabama, a plaintiff must establish the following four elements:

• Duty: The healthcare provider owed a duty of care to the plaintiff.
• Breach: The healthcare provider breached that duty by failing to provide the appropriate standard of care.
• Causation: A direct causal link between this deviation and the injury.
• Damages: You have to suffer an actual injury, not a theoretical one

Generally, the plaintiff must support their claim with testimony from a medical expert who holds a similar professional standing to the healthcare provider whose actions or lack thereof are being questioned in the lawsuit.

Qualifications of Expert Witnesses in Alabama Malpractice Lawsuits

Alabama law sets forth specific requirements for expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases. When someone sues a healthcare provider for causing harm, injury, or death due to not providing proper care, the plaintiff must prove that the healthcare provider didn’t provide the same level of care, skill, and attention that other similar healthcare providers would in the same situation.

The expert does not need to be a certified specialist or if they have these qualifications:

• Holds a license from a state regulatory board or agency.
• Has training and experience in the same field or type of practice.
• Has practiced in that field or type of practice within the year before the alleged mistake happened.

But if the defendant healthcare provider is certified in a specific specialty and was practicing that specialty when the alleged mistake occurred, Alabama raises the bar further. A healthcare provider can only testify as an expert witness if they are certified in the same specialty by the same American board.

The necessity for expert testimony, especially regarding proximate causation, stems from the fact that determining causation in medical malpractice cases usually involves complexities beyond the understanding of the average person. The plaintiff is obliged to show through expert testimony that the alleged negligence is more likely than not the cause of the injury.

But there is an exception to this rule. If the lack of care is so evident that an average person can understand it without specialized knowledge, expert medical testimony may not be required. If in doubt, you would not want to bet a court would see it this way.

Malpractice Insurance Discovery

Like every other state, the malpractice defendants’ insurance limits – or the fact that the healthcare provider even has insurance – are not admissible at trial. Alabama takes it further and says that insurance is not even discoverable. So Alabama malpractice lawyers may not know how much insurance coverage is available.

No Damages Cap in Alabama      

Alabama does not have a cap on damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. The Alabama legislature previously passed a law attempting to impose a maximum limit on damages in medical malpractice cases, but the Supreme Court of Alabama declared that the law violated the state constitution and invalidated it.

Punitive Damages in Alabama Malpractice Lawsuits

Punitive damages are a real weapon in Alabama medical malpractice lawsuits and they can really drive settlement amounts.  While judges may be quick to reduce punitive damage awards, there is no limit on punitive damages in medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuits, including cases that fall under the Alabama Medical Liability Act

Engaging a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Alabama

Our law firm manages medical malpractice cases across the nation. In Alabama, our award-winning lawyers collaborate with what our attorneys consider to be the best medical malpractice lawyers in Alabama. You benefit from the expertise of two law firms working together – at the cost of one – aiming to optimize your settlement compensation or jury award.

Your fee – and you only pay a fee if there is a settlement or verdict that pays you money – does not change because you have two law firms working for you. We provide free consultations to help you determine the best course of action for justice and a payout that corresponds to what you have been through.

Contact us today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.