How to Find out if a Doctor Has Been Sued

Shopping for a doctor should be like shopping for any big investment. You entrust a doctor with your and your family's health, so you need to know if she's competent. It's best to find out if a doctor has been sued before you make an appointment. Here's how to do this.

Instructions

• 1

  Look up the state medical board website for the state in which the doctor practices. Enter her name and city to search for her license.

• 2

  Notice if she has had any disciplinary or legal actions against her. If she has, click the link to view the public documents. If the documents aren't available online, click an information link to inquire about how they can be viewed.

• 3

  Note that information on malpractice cases against a doctor that have been dismissed or are still pending probably won't be available online. You should be able to find this information by checking with the county courthouse.

• 4

  Realize that if any complaints have been filed against a doctor or if he has been investigated, this information will not be accessible to the public. Also, if a doctor has been sued once, it may not necessarily be of concern. But if he has been sued more than once, it probably is.

• 5

  Search to see if the doctor is certified in his specialty by visiting the American Board of Medical Specialties website (see Resources below). This site provides information only on whether a physician is certified in a specialty, but does not give any other biographical information. To obtain other biographical information, visit the American Medical Association's website (see Resources below).