Article debunks the myth that tort reform is needed to prevent doctors from leaving

A new article by David Hyman (Illinois), Charles Silver (Texas), and Bernard Black (Northwestern) written an article that challenges the common argument by tort reformers that medical malpractice liability has a direct effect on physician migration.  In their article, the authors examine the evidence available in the state of Texas and conclude that

"[b]efore Texas adopted tort reform in 2003, proponents claimed that physicians were deserting Texas in droves. After tort reform was enacted, proponents claimed there had been a dramatic increase in physicians moving to Texas due to the improved liability climate. We find no evidence to support either claim. Physician supply was not measurably stunted prior to reform, and did not measurably improve after reform. This is true whether one looks at all patient care physicians in Texas or at high-malpractice-risk specialties"

 You can read the article here.

Thanks to TortsProf blog for the link.