Cost of Verdict: Case of Missed Viral Myocarditis in a Young Man

If a physician is found guilty of medical malpractice for missing a certain condition in a patient presenting with a particular set of signs and symptoms, it logically follows that the standard of care is that physicians consider that condition in other patients who share similar clinical characteristics. The costs of a lawsuit for a missed diagnosis, if its judgment is generalized to broader clinical practice, are an underappreciated cost of medical malpractice. Our analysis of a specific case of missed fatal myocarditis in a young man reveals that the hidden costs of a medical malpractice verdict in favor of the plaintiff, if taken as a new standard of care at scale, can be substantial, underscoring the fact that the costs of the medical practice system includes the cost of the practice and physician behavioral change as a consequence of lawsuits.