Medical Malpractice Statistics: 2026 U.S. and Georgia Data
Reliable medical malpractice statistics are harder to find than they should be. Much of what ranks for this search is outdated or secondhand. The numbers below come from the National Practitioner Data Bank, the federal system that records every malpractice payment made on behalf of a licensed healthcare practitioner, and we state plainly where each number comes from and when it was last updated.
National Medical Malpractice Payments: the Current Picture
In 2025, there were approximately 11,550 medical malpractice payment reports in the United States, with an average payment of approximately 457,000 dollars, according to NPDB public use data. The long term trend is striking. The number of paid claims has fallen by roughly forty percent since the early 2000s, while the average payment has risen 114 percent, from about 214,000 dollars in 2000 to about 457,000 dollars in 2025. Fewer cases are paid, and the cases that are paid are larger, which reflects how thoroughly the legal system now filters out all but the strongest claims.
Two other figures put individual cases in context. Across the full 2000 to 2025 period, the median payment was about 97,500 dollars while the average was about 257,500 dollars, meaning a small number of very large recoveries pull the average far above the typical case. And only about 2.7 percent of all payments exceeded one million dollars, which is why cases with catastrophic, well proven damages stand apart.
Payments by State
Average payments vary widely by state, shaped by damage caps, jury tendencies, and local practice. The table below shows the states with the highest average payments from 2000 through 2025, alongside Georgia and the national figures.
| State | Payment reports (2000 to 2025) | Average payment | Median payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 10,019 | $403,669 | $185,000 |
| Illinois | 17,138 | $403,557 | $195,000 |
| Connecticut | 5,298 | $397,592 | $155,000 |
| Georgia | 9,654 | $338,498 | $145,000 |
| New York | 60,690 | $318,750 | $145,000 |
| New Jersey | 19,899 | $314,350 | $145,000 |
| National | 529,804 | $257,531 | $97,500 |
New York leads the nation in volume with more than 60,000 reported payments, while California, despite the second highest case count, has one of the lowest average payments among large states because of its long standing cap on noneconomic damages.
Georgia Medical Malpractice Figures
Georgia recorded 9,654 malpractice payment reports from 2000 through 2025. The average Georgia payment of 338,498 dollars runs roughly thirty percent above the national average, and the median of 145,000 dollars is well above the national median of 97,500 dollars. Georgia consistently ranks among the ten highest states for average payment size. One reason is legal: Georgia has had no cap on noneconomic damages in malpractice cases since the Georgia Supreme Court struck the cap down in 2010, so juries may award what the evidence supports.
What These Numbers Mean for Patients
Behind every payment report is a person who was harmed by care that fell below the standard. The shrinking number of paid claims does not mean malpractice is disappearing; research compiled by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that serious diagnostic errors remain common. It means the cases that succeed are the ones with strong evidence, expert support, and lawyers willing to invest in proving them. For families deciding whether to pursue a claim, the practical lesson is that case selection and preparation matter more than ever. Our overview of how to prove medical negligence in Georgia explains what that evidence looks like.
Georgia Legal Context
Georgia generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a malpractice claim, with limited exceptions, as covered in our Georgia statute of limitations overview. Every claim requires expert testimony that the provider fell below the standard of care, and an expert affidavit must be filed with the complaint itself. Davis Adams handles medical malpractice exclusively; our medical malpractice case results show what these cases look like when they are proven.
Methodology and Sources
Figures on this page are drawn from the National Practitioner Data Bank public use data file, maintained by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, as aggregated in a published open dataset covering 529,804 payment reports from 2000 through 2025 (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19495953). NPDB payment amounts are range coded, so averages are computed from range midpoints. The data records payments only; claims resolved without payment are not included, so these figures understate the full scope of malpractice claims. Figures retrieved June 2026. This page is updated as new annual data is released, and journalists and researchers are welcome to cite it with attribution.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts, medical records, and expert review. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.
