AMA report finds radiologists face higher lawsuit risk

Radiologists are among the physician specialists with higher long-term medical liability risk, according to a new American Medical Association report.

The AMA’s Policy Research Perspective analyzed medical liability claim frequency among U.S. patient-care physicians from 2016 to 2024 using data from the AMA Physician Practice Benchmark Survey. The report found that 38.2% of radiologists surveyed had been sued at least once during their career.

Radiology was listed alongside emergency medicine and surgical specialties as a higher-risk field. Emergency medicine physicians reported a 42% career lawsuit rate, while radiologists reported 38.2%. Surgical specialties had the highest long-term risk overall, with 46.5% of physicians in that group reporting at least 1 lawsuit during their career.

Obstetricians-gynecologists and general surgeons had the highest specialty-level exposure. General surgeons had 177 claims filed per 100 physicians, followed by obstetricians-gynecologists with 139 claims per 100 physicians, according to the AMA.

Across all physicians, 28.7% reported having been sued at least once in their career in 2024. That was down from 34% in 2016, suggesting an overall decline in claim frequency even as certain specialties continue to face elevated risk.

The AMA emphasized that a medical liability claim does not necessarily mean a physician made an error. The association noted that most cases do not find fault with the physician and that many are dropped or dismissed before trial.

“Doctors continue to take on complex, high-risk care because patients depend on it,” AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, said in the association’s announcement.

Liability exposure also increased with age and years in practice. The AMA reported that physicians age 55 and older were more likely to have been sued than younger physicians, reflecting cumulative exposure over time.

A second AMA report found that medical liability insurance premiums rose nationwide for the seventh consecutive year. The association described this as the longest sustained upward trend since the early 2000s.

For radiology practices, the findings reinforce the importance of structured reporting, clear communication, peer review, documentation, follow-up systems, and risk-management processes. The report does not isolate the causes of radiology claims, but the specialty’s higher risk profile is consistent with its role in diagnosis, detection, and communication of imaging findings.

The AMA said it continues to work with state and specialty medical societies on medical liability reforms aimed at addressing costs while ensuring patients are fairly compensated.