By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The doctors say soaring medical malpractice insurance premiums are driving many of them out of state and even out of business.
Many physicians have seen their rates double or even triple in recent years.
Dr. Norman Druck, president-elect of the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society, says legislative policies and court precedents have put doctors at a disadvantage in defending themselves against lawsuits:
"Seventy percent of all medical malpractice suits are dropped," Druck said. "But every time that suit is brought, it's a terrible imposition on the physician financially, not to mention the psychological damage it does."
Druck says physicians want to see tort reform that would require a witness in a case of medical liability to document a doctor's qualifications.