Medical malpractice suits are a growing part of the American legal scene, mostly because people are more willing than ever before to make doctors face up to their errors. However, don't jump onto the bandwagon with a frivolous suit just because you can -- it just makes doctors more expensive and hurts future claimants.

The best medical malpractice lawyers are those with some medical training, although they are very rare. If you can find one, expect their fees to be very high. However, most are worth every penny, because their knowledge makes them more convincing to the jury.

Medical malpractice fraud is, unfortunately, becoming more and more common. Don't be gulled into thinking it's a victimless crime: we all end up paying more for it, since doctors have to pay higher malpractice insurance rates, and that trickles down to all of us.