Which type of doctor gets sued the least?

Asked by: Gail Rodriguez III | Last update: March 10, 2026

Score: 4.9/5 (16 votes)

Doctors in Allergy & Immunology, Hematology/Oncology, and Endocrinology have the lowest risk of being sued for malpractice, while psychiatry, pediatrics, and family medicine also consistently rank low, with surgical specialties like OB/GYN and neurosurgery facing the highest risks. The lowest risk specialties often involve internal medicine subspecialties where the potential for catastrophic outcomes might be lower or the doctor-patient relationship is longer and more collaborative, reducing lawsuits.

What medical specialty is least sued?

Family general practice, pediatrics, and psychiatry are the specialties that are least likely to be sued for medical malpractice. Psychiatrists have the lowest risk, with only 2.6% facing claims. Why Are Certain Specialties Being Sued More Than Others?

What type of doctors are sued the most?

Which Types of Doctors Are Most Likely To Be Sued?

Ophthalmology: 49%
Oncology: 47%
Internal medicine: 46%
Family medicine: 45%
Physical medicine and rehabilitation: 45%
Pathology: 44%
Pediatrics: 43%
Psychiatry: 30%

What doctor makes 700K a year?

Cardiac Anesthesiologist – $700K Annual Compensation.

Do all doctors get sued for malpractice?

According to a Medscape survey, about 60% of respondents claimed they'd been sued at least once in their careers. And for doctors over age sixty, that 60% rose to 80%. In other words, by the time doctors reach retirement age, nearly all of them have been sued for malpractice at least once.

What Doctors Get Sued the Most for Medical Malpractice?

43 related questions found

Who gets sued the most in healthcare?

According to a study conducted by the American Medical Association (AMA), OB/GYN providers have one of the highest rates of malpractice, with more than 62% of physicians being sued at some point throughout their career.

What type of doctor has the highest malpractice insurance?

Surgical specialties with the highest-risk profiles pay the highest malpractice premiums. These specialties include neurosurgeons, OBGYNs, general surgeons, bariatric surgeons, plastic surgeons, and orthopedic surgeons.

What is the lowest paid doctor?

Medical Specialities with Lowest Reported Salaries

Pediatric Endocrinology: $218,000.
Pediatric Infectious Disease: $221,000.
Pediatrics: $243,000.
Family Medicine: $255,000.
Geriatrics: $275,000.
Preventive Medicine: $275,000.
Endocrinology: $276,000.
Infectious Disease: $288,000.

What job pays $400,000 a year without a degree?

Jobs that can pay $400K a year without a degree include commercial real estate brokers, successful YouTubers or influencers, self-employed software developers, high-stakes sales roles like enterprise tech sales, and business owners. These roles rely on skill, market demand, and performance rather than formal education.

What jobs in the US pay $300,000 a year?

300k salary jobs

Manager, IT Asset Management. Netflix. ...
Head of Engineering. Central. ...
General Manager (Non-Amazon Growth) Easily apply. ...
Data Quality Analyst. ...
Restaurant Manager. ...
Product Manager, Enterprise Systems. ...
CEO - Chief Executive Officer - $300k base salary - Orange County California. ...
Vice President, Personal Training.

Why are obgyns most sued?

To be more specific, these are some of the most common reasons why American obstetricians and gynecologists get sued for medical malpractice: Maternal and/or fetal death during pregnancy and/or childbirth. Failed tubal ligations.

Which profession gets sued the most?

Medical specialty

In general, surgical specialties are at highest risk and internal medicine subspecialties are at lowest risk. Obstetricians/gynecologists (ob-gyns), general surgeons, other surgeons and orthopedic surgeons are at highest risk of being sued during their careers.

Are anesthesiologists sued a lot?

In contrast, anesthesiologists experience an annual rate of paid malpractice claims of 11.7 per 1000 physicians-years with a similar percentage of paid malpractice claims (10%) reaching over one million dollars. Malpractice claims can have even more profound consequences to medical trainees.

What is the least competitive doctor?

With that in mind, the five least competitive medical specialties are:

Family medicine.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Anesthesiology.
Pediatrics.
Psychiatry.

Which doctor has the most liability?

Below are three medical specialties that frequently see malpractice claims and the reasons why:

Surgery. Surgery is one of the riskiest medical fields for both patients and doctors. ...
Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) ...
Anesthesiology.

What jobs pay $2000 a day?

$2000 Per Day jobs

Chief People Officer (CPO) AI SaaS Digital Consumer Products, Government, Education (Remote/Equity) ...
Sanitation-Clean-up. ...
Hospitalist - Medical Staff - Full time - $235 - $275 per hour based on experience! ...
Early Intervention Specialist (Remote) Borger. ...
Data Annotator/Labeler. ...
Events Manager.

How much is $60,000 a year hourly?

If you're earning $60,000 annually, your hourly wage is approximately $28.85 . To calculate this, divide your yearly salary by the average number of working hours per year — typically 2080 hours (52 weeks x 40 hours). So, $60,000 divided by 2080 equals an hourly income of $28.85.

Who are the most overpaid doctors?

The highest-paid doctors in the U.S. are neurosurgeons, thoracic surgeons, and orthopedic surgeons. These surgical specialists earn average annual salaries between $650,000 and $760,000, making them the top earners among physicians.

Which doctor works the least?

Public Health & Preventive Medicine

Because they are more likely to work in academic, governmental, nonprofit, or corporate settings, these jobs offer a similar work/life balance to many professions outside of medicine, working the fewest hours of many doctors.

Can you make $200,000 as a physician assistant?

We analyzed thousands of PA salaries on Marit to uncover exactly what contributes to high compensation, helping you make more informed, thoughtful career decisions. While the median annual total compensation for Physician Assistant is $138,000 - 1 in 14 Physician Assistant earn over $200K!

What types of doctors get sued the most?

Which Doctors Are Sued Most Often … And Why?

Obstetricians/gynecologists — 85 percent.
Surgeons — 83 percent.
Orthopedists — 79 percent.
Radiologists — 72 percent.
Anesthesiologists — 58 percent.
Internal/family medicine practitioners — 46 percent.
Oncologists — 34 percent.

How much is $1,000,000 liability insurance a month?

The cost of a $1 million general liability insurance policy for small business owners typically ranges from $300 to over $2,000 annually, depending on several risk factors. The median cost is $42 per month.

What is the most famous case of medical negligence?

Here are some of the most famous and biggest medical malpractice cases in the US in recent history.

Julie Andrews Versus New York's Mount Sinai Hospital.
Michael Jackson Versus Dr. ...
Joan Rivers Versus Yorkville Endoscopy.
Jesica Santillan Versus Duke University Hospital.