Dr. L, 63, was a general practitioner in the suburbs of a northeastern city. He had a reputation among colleagues and patients for being compassionate and caring, and his bustling practice was a result of the positive word-of-mouth spread by his patients.

Dr. U, 41, was a sole urologist in a small community in the Midwest. He'd been in private practice for only two years, but he felt quite positive about his professional prospects and his future—until he was sued.

Dr. N was a board-certified general and abdominal surgeon who had bounced around for five years after graduating from his residency program. At last, he settled down and decided to build a practice in a Northeastern community near his alma mater.

When the emergency department nurses had difficulty passing a urethral catheter, Dr. S was the urologist on call. One such case led to a malpractice suit.

Dr. M, 56, was an old hand at the twists and turns of prostatic cancer. He'd been taught well by a urology professor who drawled, "It's just like huntin' swamp foxes. You never know what direction they're gonna turn next." Still, the professor's wisdom failed to shield Dr. M from a malpractice suit.

Ms. J, 60, was a nurse administrator at a large HMO clinic for most of her career. Her duties were mostly recruiting, scheduling, and resolving staff problems. When she was dismissed and replaced by a younger (and lower-paid) woman, she sued for age discrimination.

At age 38, Dr. K was new to private practice. He had completed his residency three years earlier and formed a partnership with an established general urologist in the Northeast. They investigated PSA levels by repeated testing, ultrasound, and, when necessary, biopsy. (Ratios of free/ bound PSA were not available at the time.) A patient with a mildly elevated PSA involved Dr. K in a malpractice suit.

Dr. W, 56, was an experienced urologist in a small suburban community in the South. His surgical skills and common-sense approach earned him the trust of his patients. Many of his cases involved renal stones, and one such case involved him in a malpractice suit.

Dr. R, 32, graduated as the top resident in his urology program. He turned down an opportuni-ty in academia to join an established group practice in his hometown. Ironically, his stellar academic credentials worked against him when he was sued for malpractice a year later.

Dr. H, 54, is a urologist who works solo and is happy to do so. Earlier in his career he had practiced in a clinic setting, and he considered himself fortunate to have “escaped from the Stalag,” as he put it to his colleagues. Dr. H felt his independence allowed him to pursue a higher standard of care. A wrenching malpractice case put that belief to the test.