The AAOS is committed to safe, accessible, cost effective and quality patient care. However, the structure of the current medical liability system limits the ability of physicians to provide the highest quality patient care and systematic medical liability reform is necessary to improve the overall health care system. 

The AAOS believes that broad reforms are necessary to compensate negligently injured patients promptly and equitably, enhance patient-physician communication, facilitate improvement of patient safety and quality of care, reduce defensive medicine and wasteful spending, decrease liability costs, and improve patient access to care. Further, the AAOS believes that no federal legislation pertaining to liability reform should include provisions that would undermine effective state tort reform provisions or the ability of states to enact tort reform tailored to local needs.

In recognizing that broad reform requires pilots and time before widespread application, it is critical to provide interim relief within the current system through proven measures by state and/or federal legislation.