Graduation Year
2012
Date of Submission
2012
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Economics
Reader 1
Eric Helland
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2012 William C. Dodds
Abstract
This paper utilizes data on physician malpractice insurance premiums and state tort law to analyze how physicians in various medical specialties are differentially affected by caps on noneconomic damages. As higher premiums put pressure on legislators to enact damage caps, I instrument caps on noneconomic damages with enactment of tort reform measures that do not affect malpractice premiums to uncover the effect of caps on noneconomic damages on such premiums. I find evidence to support that, in terms of dollars saved, physicians in high risk specialties benefit more from noneconomic damage caps than physicians in low risk specialties. However, in percentage terms, I find that physicians in all specialties essentially benefit equally from caps on noneconomic damages.
Recommended Citation
Dodds, William C., "Differential Effects of Tort Reform Across Medical Specialties" (2012). CMC Senior Theses. 531.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/531
