Medical malpractice is far more common in some parts of the U.S. than others, with a new report from 24/7 Wall St. highlighting which states see the most claims filed against doctors and hospitals.

A special report from 24/7 Wall St. ranked states by their rate of medical malpractice lawsuits per 100,000 residents using data from the National Practitioner Data Bank. The findings reveal that the states with the most successful lawsuits had $273 in medical malpractice payouts per capita between 2015 to 2024, more than 10 times higher than the states with the lowest rates.

Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. following heart disease and cancer, according to an analysis by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Deaths are often due to increasing medical and surgical complications, highlighting the importance of functionality and quality in healthcare systems across the country.

The state with the highest medical malpractice payouts is New York. From 2015 to 2024 the state paid $273.6 per capita and a total of $5.4 billion. The average medical malpractice payout of $502,292 in 10,662 cases.

On the flip side, North Dakota had the least amount of medical malpractice payouts of $26.76 per capita and $21.0 million total. The average medical malpractice payout was $368,061 across 57 cases.

Here’s a look at which states 24/7 Wall St. found to have the most medical malpractice lawsuits:

1. New York

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $273.64 per capita ($5.4 billion total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $502,292 (10,662 cases)

2. Pennsylvania

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $215.94 per capita ($2.8 billion total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $464,328 (6,028 cases)

3. Rhode Island

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $205.48 per capita ($225.2 million total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $561,605 (401 cases)

4. Connecticut

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $201.52 per capita ($728.9 million total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $711,861 (1,024 cases)

5. New Jersey

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $199.71 per capita ($1.9 billion total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $514,257 (3,608 cases)

6. Massachusetts

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $192.27 per capita ($1.3 billion total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $764,434 (1,761 cases)

7. New Mexico

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $162.84 per capita ($344.3 million total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $376,700 (914 cases)

8. Illinois

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $161.52 per capita ($2.0 billion total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $709,014 (2,859 cases)

9. New Hampshire

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $159.46 per capita ($223.6 million total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $665,406 (336 cases)

10. West Virginia

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $129.82 per capita ($229.8 million total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $346,587 (663 cases)

11. Louisiana

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $121.35 per capita ($555.0 million total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $260,824 (2,128 cases)

12. Maryland

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $117.92 per capita ($728.8 million total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $445,997 (1,634 cases)

13. Georgia

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $114.95 per capita ($1.3 billion total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $548,590 (2,311 cases)

14. Hawaii

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $113.59 per capita ($163.0 million total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $634,281 (257 cases)

15. Florida

• Medical malpractice payouts, 2015-2024: $110.63 per capita ($2.5 billion total)
• Average medical malpractice payout, 2015-2024: $304,022 (8,228 cases)

Where does Alabama rank?

24/7 Wall St. placed Alabama 42nd in states with the most medical malpractice lawsuits. Medical malpractice payouts from 2015 to 2024 were $55.04 per capita and $281.2 million total, while the average payout was $572,647 among 491 cases.