The Albuquerque Journal reported on December 27, 2025 that less than 1% of New Mexico physicians were responsible for half of medical malpractice payments from 1991 to 2024. One New Mexico neurosurgeon, who lost his New Mexico medical license in 2024, was responsible for $19 million in medical malpractice payments involving the settlement of 26 patient claims since 2001. The New Mexico Medical Board alleged that the neurosurgeon had been sued nine times since 2021 and underwent a neuropsychological evaluation that found him “not fit to practice medicine.”
New Mexico medical malpractice payments reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank doubled from 2022, to $68.5 million in 2024, yet the number of disciplinary actions against physicians declined during the same time period. In 2024, New Mexico had 4.46 medical malpractice incidents per 100,000 people, which is second behind New York. Only New Jersey and Pennsylvania had larger mean malpractice payment amounts per physician than New Mexico in 2024.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that of the approximately 26,500 physicians who practiced in New Mexico from 1991 to 2024, 194 (0.7%) were responsible for half New Mexico’s medical malpractice payments during that period. Approximately 94% of New Mexico physicians have never made a medical malpractice payment.
Robert Oshel, a former associate director of the National Practitioner Data Bank, testified in October 2025 before the New Mexico Legislature, reporting on his analysis of more than two decades of data: “It’s pretty clear New Mexico has a medical malpractice problem. The problem, though, is malpractice itself, not payments. You’ve got to deal with the root cause, and that’s the malpractice itself. First, you’ve got to identify the people that are causing the bulk of the problems. You’ve got to try to identify people as early as possible where it appears there’s a problem. The peer review organizations ought to be the first line of defense. The medical board is basically the last line of defense. One malpractice payment is a flag. If somebody has two or three or four, they’ve really got a problem and that’s where the licensing board needs to get involved.”
Oshel reportedly testified that the New Mexico Medical Board and hospitals themselves need to do a better job identifying problem physicians and take action to reduce the likelihood of malpractice.
Another statistic stands out: New Mexico reportedly has the highest proportion of private equity-owned hospitals in the country – 38% compared to the national average of 8%.
If you or a loved one may have been harmed as a result of medical negligence in New Mexico or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a New Mexico medical malpractice attorney, or a medical malpractice attorney in your state, who may investigate your medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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