Fortunately, malpractice payments on behalf of optometrists are rare; on average, there are less than 34 cases nationally each year, and half of them are less than $50,000. But for each malpractice payment, there are even more claims. In ophthalmology, from 1985 to 2007, for every malpractice indemnity payment there were roughly four claims. Over the course of a 35-year career, 95% of ophthalmologists will have one claim against them, and more than half can expect two or three. While optometry may never incur the same level of risk, ODs must remain diligent as practitioners provide more and more medical services.