There is no more scary risk in health care than obstetrics. Obstetrics is the chief concern of both hospital and physician underwriters due to the potential for large awards. Claim frequency is also an issue for obstetricians. Claims can potentially involve two persons: mother and child. Both are young and can evoke sympathy from juries. The cost of ongoing care for such a young person, especially infants, can be very expensive. While the national medical malpractice environment is greatly improved, the largest awards typically involve events occurring during obstetrical care, especially in the labor and delivery suite. Two weeks ago there occurred one of the largest malpractice verdicts in recent years, a case in Michigan, in which the award was $144 million. Earlier this year a case in Connecticut resulted in a $58 million pay-out. Patient safety in obstetrics is improving with new technology such as patient simulation labs using mannequins and bedside clinical informatics. But despite these technological advances, obstetrics still strikes fear into the hearts of underwriters because of the size and frequency of claims.