When you get sick, you might think to call a doctor. However, growth within the nurse practitioner field could soon change that. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 45% growth in nurse practitioners by 2032.[1] These projections make it more evident than ever that these medical professionals play a major role in our healthcare systems. In fact, 258,230 nurse practitioners practiced in the United States as of 2023.[1] That care, however, comes with claims of medical malpractice suits against these medical professionals and the potential for pre-settlement funding.
While most of these medical professionals work in physicians’ offices or general or surgical hospitals, others work in outpatient clinics and provide home health care services. The care provided by nurse practitioners makes them potentially liable for patient claims when things go wrong, just like doctors. If you’ve experienced injury from a nurse practitioner’s care and have an active lawsuit, USClaims may have solutions for nurse practitioners’ malpractice cases when you want to know how pre-settlement funding works.
What Is Nurse Practitioner Malpractice?
Per the Nurse Practitioner Professional Liability Exposure Claim Report: 5th Edition, nurse practitioners’ malpractice suits don’t differ all that much from medical malpractice suits against primary care physicians.[2] This information comes from a 2022 dataset gathered between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021, and it compares similar data from a 2017 dataset and study.[2]
This study looked at how the courts define nurse practitioners’ malpractice, including the NP’s duty, breaches in care standards, injuries caused by error, and harm resulting in damage to the patient. Among the three main causes for settlements, issues with medication, professional conduct, and practice scope reflect the most cases brought before licensing boards.
Types of Nurse Practitioner Malpractice Cases
Clinical and administrative factors often play into nurse practitioner malpractice cases. These factors may include failure to adhere to the scope of practice, inadequate physician supervision, and an absence or deviation from written protocols. When you need medical malpractice lawsuit funding for injuries incurred from a nurse practitioner, other common mistakes made by NPs include:
- Improper or incomplete documentation
- Neonatal injuries or death
- Issues related to aging services
- Misdiagnosis of medical problems
- Wrongful death
- Cancer-related diagnoses or deaths
Can Nurse Practitioners Have Liability for Malpractice?
Nurse practitioners can have liability for medical malpractice, just like doctors.[2] In fact, the average amount paid for personal liability claims in 2022 ran $332,137.[1] This average represents a 10.5% increase when compared to 2017 totals.[3] Diagnosis-related claims incurred the highest claims percentage at 37.1%, with average claims running $385,947.[3]
Neonatal and pediatric nurse practitioner malpractice cases had the highest claim amounts, with totals coming in at $627,333 and $408,767, respectively, due to the potential for lifetime care required for injuries.[3] Next, behavioral health nurse practitioners paid out $381,409 in claims, while gerontology professionals had average claims of $328,871.[3] The healthcare delivery settings with the greatest number of claims included physician office practices, nurse practitioner office practices, and skilled nursing or other aging service facilities.
What to Do If You’ve Been a Victim of Nurse Practitioner Malpractice
Although some incidents prove difficult to prevent, you can still take certain measures to protect yourself and your loved ones. These measures include ensuring nurse practitioners you see stay current on key aspects of their clinical practices and education, including medication and biological side effects. They should also discuss and document all phases of your treatment, including your medications, to ensure informed consent. If your nurse practitioner has failed in these areas and you’ve filed a lawsuit against them, you can find out if your case qualifies for pre-settlement funding by contacting us.
It’s clear that, like doctors, nurse practitioners must remain diligent and responsible for each and every screening, monitoring, treatment, testing, consulting, and referral. You rely on these medical professionals for proper care, and failure in that regard can leave you and your family in a difficult position. If you’ve initiated a lawsuit surrounding injuries sustained or death due to medical malpractice but worry about your ability to keep up with all of your expenses, read our pre-settlement funding FAQ and then call USClaims.
How Pre-Settlement Funding Can Help
At USClaims, we offer pre-settlement funding, also known as litigation funding, to provide financial support while you wait for your case to settle in court. Attorneys across the country rely on our funding services to help their clients in tough times, and their testimonials provide added peace of mind when you need some extra help.
If your malpractice case qualifies for pre-settlement funding, we purchase a portion of the proceeds of the anticipated court judgment or settlement, so you have some cash now. USClaims only gets paid if you win your case or reach a settlement, so you can feel confident when you apply for our funding options. Apply now or call us today at 1-877-USCLAIMS to learn more.
The availability of pre-settlement funding varies by state. Contact USClaims for more information.
Sources
- “A Look at Nurse Practitioners for National Nurse Practitioner Week : The Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Bureau of Labor Statistics, 14 Nov. 2023, www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/a-look-at-nurse-practitioners-for-national-nurse-practitioner-week.htm.
- “Professional Liability Exposure Claim Report: 5th Edition.” NSO, www.nso.com/Learning/Artifacts/Claim-Reports/Nurse-Practitioner-Claim-Report-5th-Edition.
- “Nurses’ Malpractice Insurance Claim Reports.” NSO, www.nso.com/Learning/Artifacts/Claim-Reports/Minimizing-Risk-Achieving-Excellence.