Section 290. Reporting of medical malpractice judgments and settlements

A. In compliance with requirements of § 54.1-2910.1 of the Code of Virginia, a doctor of medicine, osteopathic medicine, or podiatry licensed by the board shall report all medical malpractice judgments and settlements of more than $10,000 in the most recent 10-year period within 30 days of the initial payment. A doctor shall report a medical malpractice judgment or settlement of less than $10,000 if any other medical malpractice judgment or settlement has been paid by or for the licensee within the preceeding 12 months. Each report of a settlement or judgment shall indicate:

1. The year the judgment or settlement was paid.

2. The specialty in which the doctor was practicing at the time the incident occurred that resulted in the judgment or settlement.

3. The total amount of the judgment or settlement in United States dollars.

4. The city, state, and country in which the judgment or settlement occurred.

B. The board shall not release individually identifiable numeric values of reported judgments or settlements but shall use the information provided to determine the relative frequency of judgments or settlements described in terms of the number of doctors in each specialty and the percentage with malpractice judgments or settlements within the most recent 10-year period. The statistical methodology used will include any specialty with more than 10 judgments or settlements. For each specialty with more than 10 judgments or settlements, the top 16% of the judgments or settlements will be displayed as above average payments, the next 68% of the judgments or settlements will be displayed as average payments, and the last 16% of the judgments or settlements will be displayed as below average payments.

C. For purposes of reporting required under this section, medical malpractice judgment and medical malpractice settlement shall have the meanings ascribed in § 54.1-2900 of the Code of Virginia. A medical malpractice judgment or settlement shall include:

1. A lump sum payment or the first payment of multiple payments;

2. A payment made from personal funds;

3. A payment on behalf of a doctor of medicine, osteopathic medicine, or podiatry by a corporation or entity comprised solely of that doctor of medicine, osteopathic medicine, or podiatry; or

4. A payment on behalf of a doctor of medicine, osteopathic medicine, or podiatry named in the claim where that doctor is dismissed as a condition of, or in consideration of the settlement, judgment or release. If a doctor is dismissed independently of the settlement, judgment or release, then the payment is not reportable.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 16, Issue 07, eff. January 19, 2000; amended, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 2, 2003; Volume 23, Issue 13, eff. April 4, 2007; Volume 23, Issue 23, eff. August 22, 2007; Volume 29, Issue 04, eff. November 21, 2012.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.