How to Get Information on Doctors Who Have Been Sued

Finding out if a doctor has been sued is challenging for the average patient. If you're looking for a searchable database of doctors that gives accurate and reliable information on any lawsuits brought against them, you'll be disappointed. However, there are several methods you can try before you put your health into a bad doctor's hands.

Instructions

• 1

  Ask your doctor. There is no guarantee that you'll get the straight facts, but you may get enough information to decide if you want to keep your appointment. Remember, some lawsuits are frivolous, but doctors do occasionally make mistakes. If your doctor refuses to answer your question, becomes angry, or dodges the question altogether, you might want to find another doctor.

• 2

  Contact your state medical licensing board. They will be able to tell you if a doctor has been sued. If your doctor has been sued in another state, however, you will have to contact a different licensing medical board. Doctors looking to put career-damaging lawsuits behind them often move to another state.

• 3

  Enter your doctor's name into a search engine such as Google. You may be able to find all the information you need from online news stories or other sources. There also are sites that "rate" doctors, but the information is not guaranteed to be reliable.

• 4

  Call your county clerk's office. They may be able to give you information about lawsuits against doctors in your area, or can at least point you to another resource. Keep in mind the information is usually limited to occurrences within the county.