Introduction: Medical malpractice lawsuits are an extremely serious topic and have affected numerous patients, doctors, and hospitals across the country. Medical malpractice is defined as “the improper, unskilled, or negligent treatment of a patient by a doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider” (Medical Malpractice, n.d.). If a doctor acts negligently and causes harm to a patient, malpractice lawsuits arise. Malpractice is the concept of liability related to medical malpractice claims, making this type of dispute part of civil law. Tort law provides that a person can sue for negligence to recover damages for personal injury. Negligence laws are designed to discourage careless behavior and also to compensate victims for any negligence. Medical negligence has become a controversial social issue. From the doctor's perspective, preventative decisions and actions can alter medical malpractice lawsuits brought against him. To protect your career and professional life, medical malpractice insurance is available. Medical professional liability insurance, sometimes known as medical malpractice insurance, is a type of professional liability insurance. “Professional liability refers to liability that arises from the failure to use due diligence and the standard of care expected of a person practicing a particular profession, in this case a doctor, dentist, nurse, hospital or other healthcare organization” (Brandenburg, 2014). Medical errors occur more than most people realize, and when a doctor is found negligent, the patient has the right to sue for compensation for their losses. Debates and problems arise when negligence lawsuits are asserted. If a patient files a claim for medical negligence, the l...... central part of the document ......012). Health economics. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Pearson. Schwartz, J. C. (2013). Learning from litigation. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/17/opinion/how-health-care-is-learning-from-lawsuits.html?action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults%230&version=&url = http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%23%2Fmedical% 2520malpractice%2520cases&_r=0Seidman, Margulis & Fairman. (2014). Informed consent in cases of medical negligence. Retrieved from http://www.seidmanlaw.net/Catastrophy-Injuries_PC/Informed-Consent-in-3-Catastrophy-Injuries_PC.shtmlSullivan, Papain, Block, McGrath & Cannavo PC (2014). Medical negligence: failure to diagnose cancer. Retrieved from http://www.triallaw1.com/Results/Medical-Malpractice-Claim-Cases-Settlements-and-Verdicts/Medical-Malpractice-Failure-to-Diagnose-Cancer.shtml