But when patients like Wiseman try to sue their doctor, a CBC investigation shows the rate of success is very low. An analysis of the past 40 years shows that as the number of doctors increased, the rate of patients suing has dropped. For the cases that do make their way to court, the number of patients who have won has also gone down. The associate executive director of the association, Dr. Douglas Bell, says he believes fewer patients are winning in court for a different reason. "The Canadian Medical Protective Association would view this case as a 'never event,' so clearly there is compensation required."

Source: CBC News April 18, 2019 07:52 UTC