California medical malpractice statistics
California had 707 physician malpractice payment reports in 2025. The median reported payment was $205,000 in nominal dollars.
These are payment reports, not all claims. Each section states its source, period, and main limits.
Key figures
| Measure | Value | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| California physician payment reports, 2025 | 707 | NPDB Public Use Data File, May 2026 |
| Total reported payments, 2025 | $284.2M | NPDB Public Use Data File, May 2026 |
| Median reported payment, 2025 | $205,000 | NPDB Public Use Data File, May 2026 |
| Admitted California medical malpractice premium, 2025 | $450.3M | California Department of Insurance, 2025 Market Share Report |
| MICRA noneconomic damages limits, 2026 | $470,000 injury / $650,000 wrongful death, per defendant category | California Civil Code section 3333.2 |
The tables below give the source definitions and limits. Do not combine periods or populations without stating the difference.
California physician payment report trend
The NPDB Public Use Data File includes qualifying malpractice payments for individual practitioners. This table uses full years from 1991 through 2025.
| Year | Payment reports | Total payments | Median payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1,403 | $163.3M | $32,500 |
| 1992 | 1,705 | $173.8M | $27,500 |
| 1993 | 1,744 | $185.0M | $27,500 |
| 1994 | 1,831 | $200.7M | $32,500 |
| 1995 | 1,518 | $180.2M | $42,500 |
| 1996 | 1,712 | $218.6M | $42,500 |
| 1997 | 1,801 | $202.4M | $37,500 |
| 1998 | 1,480 | $206.1M | $52,500 |
| 1999 | 1,461 | $205.4M | $52,500 |
| 2000 | 1,388 | $195.0M | $52,500 |
| 2001 | 1,453 | $250.9M | $62,500 |
| 2002 | 1,373 | $241.3M | $67,500 |
| 2003 | 1,358 | $237.0M | $57,500 |
| 2004 | 1,238 | $227.5M | $72,500 |
| 2005 | 1,189 | $247.0M | $67,500 |
| 2006 | 1,070 | $247.3M | $72,500 |
| 2007 | 996 | $227.1M | $85,000 |
| 2008 | 959 | $211.4M | $72,500 |
| 2009 | 997 | $212.0M | $87,500 |
| 2010 | 908 | $187.0M | $72,500 |
| 2011 | 886 | $184.7M | $95,000 |
| 2012 | 906 | $193.8M | $75,000 |
| 2013 | 934 | $243.0M | $97,500 |
| 2014 | 886 | $198.8M | $87,500 |
| 2015 | 917 | $234.1M | $87,500 |
| 2016 | 848 | $199.5M | $97,500 |
| 2017 | 823 | $220.2M | $97,500 |
| 2018 | 817 | $234.0M | $97,500 |
| 2019 | 691 | $196.0M | $105,000 |
| 2020 | 627 | $174.5M | $115,000 |
| 2021 | 549 | $176.9M | $125,000 |
| 2022 | 634 | $195.2M | $145,000 |
| 2023 | 694 | $276.8M | $150,000 |
| 2024 | 714 | $302.0M | $135,000 |
| 2025 | 707 | $284.2M | $205,000 |
Source: NPDB Public Use Data File, May 2026. Counts are reports, and payment amounts use range midpoints.
The report count decreased between 1991 and 2025. The nominal median payment increased over the same period.
This dataset does not explain why either measure changed. It also excludes claims that closed without payment.
Medical Board settlement reports by specialty
California requires reports for specified settlements over $30,000. It also requires reports for arbitration awards and civil judgments of any amount.
The Board table lists procedure specialty and ABMS-certified physician counts. These columns do not describe perfectly matched populations.
| Procedure specialty | Settlement reports | ABMS-certified physicians |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiology | 15 | 8,308 |
| Cardiology | 9 | 4,385 |
| Colon and Rectal | 2 | 272 |
| Dermatology | 6 | 2,517 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 7 | 4,744 |
| Emergency Medicine | 26 | 6,378 |
| Endocrinology | 1 | 1,198 |
| Gastroenterology | 7 | 2,100 |
| General/Family Practice | 43 | 12,743 |
| Geriatric Medicine | 1 | 792 |
| Gynecologic Oncology | 4 | 165 |
| Gynecology | 12 | 6,829 |
| Hematology | 2 | 1,542 |
| Hospice and Palliative Care | 1 | 902 |
| Infectious Disease | 4 | 1,201 |
| Internal Medicine | 23 | 26,569 |
| Interventional Cardiology | 1 | 598 |
| Interventional Radiology | 2 | 441 |
| Medical Oncology | 5 | 1,732 |
| Neonatal/Perinatal | 1 | 924 |
| Nephrology | 1 | 1,494 |
| Neurological Surgery | 14 | 761 |
| Neurology | 10 | 3,187 |
| Obstetrics | 45 | 6,829 |
| Ophthalmology | 10 | 3,213 |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 28 | 3,788 |
| Otolaryngology | 6 | 2,006 |
| Pain Medicine | 5 | 928 |
| Pathology | 7 | 5,054 |
| Pediatrics | 7 | 13,581 |
| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | 3 | 1,607 |
| Plastic Surgery | 15 | 1,398 |
| Psychiatry | 3 | 10,760 |
| Pulmonary Disease | 3 | 1,991 |
| Radiation Oncology | 1 | 676 |
| Radiology | 34 | 1,534 |
| Rheumatology | 1 | 847 |
| Surgery | 40 | 5,025 |
| Thoracic Surgery | 3 | 666 |
| Urology | 13 | 1,423 |
| Vascular Surgery | 4 | 420 |
Source: Medical Board of California, Annual Report 2024-2025, page 17. The two columns do not describe perfectly matched populations.
Recent payment amounts
The median is the middle reported payment. The mean equals total payments divided by the report count.
| Year | Payment reports | Median payment | Computed mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 848 | $97,500 | $235,000 |
| 2017 | 823 | $97,500 | $268,000 |
| 2018 | 817 | $97,500 | $286,000 |
| 2019 | 691 | $105,000 | $284,000 |
| 2020 | 627 | $115,000 | $278,000 |
| 2021 | 549 | $125,000 | $322,000 |
| 2022 | 634 | $145,000 | $308,000 |
| 2023 | 694 | $150,000 | $399,000 |
| 2024 | 714 | $135,000 | $423,000 |
| 2025 | 707 | $205,000 | $402,000 |
Source: NPDB Public Use Data File, May 2026. Means are rounded to the nearest $1,000.
The file uses payment range midpoints and nominal dollars. Do not treat these amounts as exact payments or inflation-adjusted values.
California admitted market
Licensed insurers reported $450.3M in California medical malpractice direct written premium for 2025.
| Measure | 2025 premium | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| All licensed writers | $450.3M | Licensed companies in the CDI workbook |
Source: California Department of Insurance, 2025 Market Share Report, lines 11.1 and 11.2.
The workbook covers licensed companies only. It excludes surplus lines, risk retention groups, captives, trusts, and self-insured arrangements.
Public rate filing dates
Filing dates show the age of each public manual. They do not show the age of one physician's quote.
| Carrier | Filing | Approved | Overall change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Medical Protective Company | CDI 13-3635 / SERFF MDPC-129010877 | August 2013 | -1.6% |
| The Doctors Company | CDI 14-4043 / SERFF DCTR-129531290 | August 2014 | +0.4% |
| NORCAL (now ProAssurance group) | CDI 14-7766;14-7767 / SERFF NCMC-129678275 | September 2015 | -3.0% |
| MIEC | CDI 20-4143 / SERFF PERR-132594120 | February 2023 | -7.2% |
Source: California Department of Insurance public rate filings, checked August 2026. Search the filings.
| Specialty | 2016 | 2020 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Medicine | $8,274 | $8,274 | $8,274 |
| General Surgery | $41,775 | $41,775 | $41,775 |
| Obstetrics/Gynecology | $49,804 | $49,804 | $49,804 |
Restated from AMA Policy Research Perspectives, April 2026, Exhibit 4. These are one insurer's manual premiums, not market averages or quotes.
Find a filed specialty and county rate. Compare four filed carrier manuals.
MICRA noneconomic damages schedule
Civil Code section 3333.2 sets separate injury and wrongful death limits. Each displayed amount applies per statutory defendant category.
The scheduled amounts run through 2033. Starting in 2034, the statute applies a two percent annual adjustment.
| Year | Injury limit | Wrongful death limit | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $350,000 | $500,000 | Statutory |
| 2024 | $390,000 | $550,000 | Statutory |
| 2025 | $430,000 | $600,000 | Statutory |
| 2026 | $470,000 | $650,000 | Statutory |
| 2027 | $510,000 | $700,000 | Statutory |
| 2028 | $550,000 | $750,000 | Statutory |
| 2029 | $590,000 | $800,000 | Statutory |
| 2030 | $630,000 | $850,000 | Statutory |
| 2031 | $670,000 | $900,000 | Statutory |
| 2032 | $710,000 | $950,000 | Statutory |
| 2033 | $750,000 | $1,000,000 | Statutory (final scheduled amounts) |
| 2034 | $765,000 | $1,020,000 | Projected (statutory 2% annual inflation adjustment begins) |
| 2035 | $780,300 | $1,040,400 | Projected (2% compounding) |
| 2036 | $795,906 | $1,061,208 | Projected (2% compounding) |
| 2037 | $811,824 | $1,082,432 | Projected (2% compounding) |
| 2038 | $828,061 | $1,104,081 | Projected (2% compounding) |
| 2039 | $844,622 | $1,126,162 | Projected (2% compounding) |
| 2040 | $861,514 | $1,148,686 | Projected (2% compounding) |
Source: California Civil Code section 3333.2. Rows after 2033 are computed projections rounded to whole dollars.
What each table counts
Payment reports
The NPDB table uses the May 2026 Public Use Data File. It assigns California by work state, then by home state when work state is blank.
The year is the original report processing year. Each row is a report, not a unique claim, physician, lawsuit, or negligence finding.
Settlement reports
The Medical Board table uses its 2024-2025 annual report. Business and Professions Code section 801.01 defines the reporting duty.
Market share and filed rates
The market table uses premium reported by licensed companies in the CDI 2025 workbook. It excludes surplus lines, risk retention groups, captives, trusts, and self-insurance.
A filed base rate belongs to one class, territory, limit, maturity, and filing year. Individual rating facts turn that base rate into a premium.
MICRA schedule
Civil Code section 3333.2 sets the noneconomic-damage amounts by defendant category. Economic damages remain uncapped.
Rows through 2033 reproduce the statutory schedule. Later rows apply the two percent annual adjustment and round the result to whole dollars.
Sources
- National Practitioner Data Bank Public Use Data File (May 2026), HRSA
- Medical Board of California - Annual Report 2024-2025
- California Department of Insurance - 2025 Property & Casualty Market Share Report
- LegInfo - Civil Code 3333.2 (MICRA noneconomic damages caps, as amended by AB 35)
- LegInfo - Business and Professions Code 801.01 (settlement and judgment reports to the Medical Board)
- AMA Policy Research Perspectives - Medical Liability Premiums 2016-2025 (April 2026)