The underpinning of medical practice has always been patient care and patient safety. The past several decades, however, have seen an erosion of the patient-doctor relationship. A number of factors have contributed to the ongoing medical malpractice crisis that continues in the United States. There are three social goals of malpractice litigation: to deter unsafe practices, to compensate persons injured through negligence, and to exact corrective justice. This article examines how well the current system achieves these goals.