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Home News & Case Notes Supreme Court report on med-mal shows 28.6% decline in filings statewide The most significant declines occurred in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, according to the report (3/18/2004) -- Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ralph J. Cappy today released preliminary data regarding medical malpractice case filings and verdicts, further fulfilling a commitment for swift intergovernmental collaboration on liability reform. "Medical malpractice litigation remains an issue of paramount public importance," the chief justice said in a press statement. "I want to express my personal gratitude to the staff in all the offices that assisted in this effort." The preliminary findings show the number of filings last year in Philadelphia was cut in half from a comparable period in 2002. In Allegheny County, case filings dropped by more than one-third over the same period. Overall, there was a 28.6 percent decline in statewide filings in 2003 in comparison to the previous three-year period, dating to 2000. The most significant declines occurred in the state's two largest metropolitan areas - Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. A copy of the press release and links to the study mare available on the AOPC’s web site: http://www.courts.state.pa.us/index/aopc/pressreleases/prrel04318.asp