Thank you, lawyers. (Scan).(state of medical malpractice insurance in Florida)

Three of the largest insurance companies that provide medical malpractice insurance in Florida have recently gone bankrupt or stopped writing policies. Those remaining are escalating rates to cover costs. Why? Because of runaway lawsuits that make health care evermore expensive and discourage innovative treatments.

Insurance companies now "feel it is cheaper and safer to settle malpractice cases out of court than to risk large jury awards.... This litigious feeding frenzy is fueled by the unceasing plaintiff attorney advertising," complains one doctor. The social penalties "are coming to all of us in higher health care premiums, car insurance, workers compensation fees, and homeowners insurance" he maintains.

The malpractice insurance premiums of this particular physician, a family practitioner, have risen in recent years from $2,400 to $10,000 a month. Jeffrey Keller, a gastroenterologist who is retiring at age 47, reports that soaring insurance premiums are "a very significant factor" in his decision. Meanwhile, most of the dollars won by trial lawyers in malpractice suits go not to patients but to the attorneys--59 percent according to one consulting firm.

Specialists ...