Troops have filed $2.16 billion in medical malpractice claims under a 2019 law that required a system of compensation for victims, according to the military services.
The total, which hasn’t been previously reported, represents 227 cases that have yet to be adjudicated. The Army, which is the largest branch of the military, reported $845 million in malpractice claims. The Air Force reported $530 million, while the Navy and Marine Corps reported a combined total of $781 million.
The malpractice cases have languished at the Pentagon more than a year after Congress passed a landmark law (Public Law 116-92) to allow troops to receive compensation for injury or death at the hand of military hospitals. Troops have been barred from suing by a 1950 Supreme Court precedent.
