Although most malpractice claims fizzle and many men and women in physician services come out all right in terms of out-of-pocket expenses, emotional distress caused by lawsuits can be much more costly.

“There are substantial costs associated with those claims,” said Dr. Anupam Jena, patient care provider for Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in an ABC News report. “There are the costs of defending the claim [and] the losses in productivity while doctors spend time with their defense.

“Patients may suffer by not being able to see their doctors, and there also [are] the effects of stress and potential damage to reputations.”

Unfortunately, hospital physicians are getting sued constantly and often times, as with the case involving Dr. Jeffrey Segalfor, for no good reason.

Dr. Segalfor explained that during his career, he was sued for a “frivolous” reason and while the suit was dropped, he spent two years defending himself.

“I never felt as if I won anything; it felt as if I lost,” he said, referring to years of emotional anguish caused by the drawn-out lawsuit.

According to healthcare experts, “the malpractice system needs reform to be fair to doctors as well as patients who have been harmed and deserve compensation.”