The subject of this paper is the analysis of cases brought against medical entities for compensation and damages due to so-called medical errors considered by the common courts in the years 1989-2015. The source of statistical data is statements submitted annually to the Ministry of Justice by the courts. Issues addressed in the analysis include research methodology and the organisation of civil procedures, the general characteristics of claims against medical entities taken to court and settled during the investigation period, the methods of examining the cases in question by the courts, and the amounts adjudged by them for the benefit of claimants. The data were provided in the form of tables and bar and line charts for more transparent presentation of trends sustained over longer periods of time. The main aim of this paper is to present data and interpret it in the context of legal regulations and social processes.