Providers Must Prepare for Increasing Number of Obesity-Related Allegations

​The number of U.S. obesity-related malpractice claims is rising, according to analyses by professional liability companies, and there are some steps providers can take to reduce their liability. According to data from the Doctor's Company, a physician-owned medical malpractice carrier, malpractice claims involving obesity have risen 64% between 2007 and 2012. The specialties most often implicated in obesity-related suits were orthopedics, family medicine, anesthesiology, plastic surgery, general surgery, and internal medicine. Family physicians are at particularly high risk of obesity-related claims because they have an ongoing relationship with patients who may develop problems associated with obesity over years.