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Home News & Case Notes Latest medical malpractice data shows sustained decline in case filings, Pa. Supreme Court announces The newest court statistics on filings and jury verdicts may be found on the Supreme Court’s Medical Malpractice Home Page (4/26/2006) -- Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ralph J. Cappy yesterday announced the release of state court system data on medical malpractice case filings and verdicts for 2005 that show a sustained decline in the number of med mal lawsuits filed statewide. According to a press release, the 2005 data show the statewide total number of med mal filings and the number and amount of jury and non-jury verdicts. According to the release, there were 1,698 filings in 2005. This represents a 37.8 percent decline from the base years 2000-2002, the period just prior to the Supreme Court’s initiation of the certificate of merit and venue rules, according to the release. The report also addresses medical malpractice jury and non-jury verdict amounts for the calendar year 2005. According to the court’s press release, calendar year 2005 had the fewest number of jury verdicts and the fewest number of verdicts exceeding $1 million. “These figures, which are improving in accuracy each year, continue to provide critical information that previously was unavailable to the Commonwealth’s citizens in such a comprehensive format,” Chief Justice Cappy said. “As the data is examined in greater detail and evaluated over time, it is anticipated that the numbers will provide a foundation for more informed decision making by all three branches of state government.” ###