Medical liability and orthopaedic trauma: history and current state of affairs.

Orthopaedic trauma has been associated with the history of medical liability all the way back to the dark ages and the bubonic plague. Caps on noneconomic damages and other reforms have been challenged in many states, and an innovative approach to medical liability reform must be developed within the medical profession and the various legislatures. Orthopaedic trauma surgeons have a unique perspective in that they perform a critical service to the community, however they are often deprived of the benefit of preoperative risk reduction best practices because of the critical needs of the patients. Orthopaedic trauma surgeons must advocate for effective medical liability reforms.