Richard,
Just as you, on occasion, talk about your experiences in the medical field, I will talk about my experiences in the legal field.

It IS hype. You would have to know the number of lawsuits brought (very, very low) against the number of those suits that prevail (very, very low) to fully understand the situation.

A huge difference in suing someone outside of the medical field vs. suing someone IN the medical field. The doctor would forever have a blemish on his record, and would have great difficulty in obtaining insurance AFTER that, and, possibly employment. The INSURANCE COMPANY makes that a sad reality.

Everyone is human. Everyone makes mistakes. To somehow say, "well, doctors (people or animal) don't..." is the problem.