Effects of the verdict:

If you win your case, you may be angry over the time and effort, but you have the best possible outcome. However, there are two caveats. First, it is worth seriously reflecting on the lessons learned about medicine, law, and yourself. This not only helps you grow and avoid future problems, but may help someday improve the system. Secondly, a court victory does not guarantee complete closure. If licensing boards are involved, they often make a separate evaluation. They do not necessarily follow the trial conclusion. Often such issues are resolved faster than a trial.

If you settle, you have even more motivation to consider the implications. And not all those watching you may take the settlement as an end to the matter. Licensing boards again are one issue. But the insurer will make note of having to pay, and rates or even coverage may be changed. Payers may also follow such events and change qualification for participation or other matters. Hospital credentialing committees may evaluate the cases. And the case will likely be reported to the National Practitioner's Data Bank. This is visible to those qualifying institutions who pay a small fee as well, such as licensing boards and hospitals.

If you lost, this is not unusual and may not necessarily convince the community you were wrong. It appears the relationships between the merits of the case and malpractice case outcomes are loose.
But losing the case again may raise issues with insurance companies about continued coverage, and with the licensing board or credentialing committies. While a single case, or two, is usually not an issue, 3 or more in a few years can be.
Depending on the details, some of these open ends may need substantial further time, effort, and even expenditure. This is covered in the consequences section.

While the stresses are fresh, it is wise to organize and convey your lessons to your partners and staff. If nothing else this deters future problems. Also if there were aspects to the partners professional relationships, or that of the hospital that you feel should have been better, it is wise to deal with them while the impact of a trial is still clear.

If this is your first case, resolve to make your only case. Chance being what it is take the time to protect yourself with insurance and asset consulting against other future problems. Many of these protections only work well done before problems arise.