US legislators aren’t getting on top of the country’s medical malpractice problems, with the costs of claims continuing to increase at a steady 10% per year, according to major broker Aon. In a new study into healthcare liability cases, Aon says the number of claims increased 3% last year, with the severity of claims increasing 6.5%.

Aon says in a new report that these factors have helped to keep the costs of med mal cases increasing at a steady 10% per year, with the average claim against hospitals expected to average $197,000 this year. That’s double the average claim in 1996.