 Childbirth negligence cases had the highest median jury award in 2002 of all   medical malpractice cases analyzed by Jury Verdict Research. Data in the annual   "Current Award Trends in Personal Injury" showed that the median award for such   negligence was $2,252,645. Moreover, plaintiffs won 60% of childbirth negligence   cases in 2002, up from 55% in 2001 and 34% in 2000. 

 Between 1999 and 2002, medical malpractice cases accounted for 52% of jury   awards of $1 million or more. Overall, the median award in malpractice cases   was $1,010,858 in 2002, up slightly from the $1 million median award reported   in 2001 and 2000. 

 The data also showed that, while physicians won the majority of malpractice   cases, plaintiffs still won 42% of the time in 2002, up from 40% in 2001. While   the 2-percentage-point increase seems slight, it actually means that plaintiffs   won 5% more cases than they did in 2001. 

 "With the average cost of each loss more than $1 million, 5% is a significant   increase," Richard E. Anderson, MD, chair of The Doctors Co., a physician-owned   national medical liability insurer, told 