It may be useful to go to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine's website at http://www.massmedboard.org/consumer/. In the "Malpractice Information" of the physician report it states for reference

"Some studies have shown that there is no significant correlation between malpractice history and a doctor's competence. At the same time, the Board believes that consumers should have access to malpractice information. In these profiles, the Board has given you information about both the malpractice history of the physician's specialty and the physician's history of payments. The Board has placed payment amounts into three statistical categories: below average, average, and above average. To make the best health care decisions, you should view this information in perspective. You could miss an opportunity for high quality care by selecting a doctor based solely on malpractice history.
When considering malpractice data, please keep in mind:

Malpractice histories tend to vary by specialty. Some specialties are more likely than others to be the subject of litigation. This report compares doctors only to the members of their specialty, not to all doctors, in order to make individual doctor's history more meaningful.
This report reflects data for the last 10 years of a doctor's practice. For doctors practicing less than 10 years, the data covers their total years of practice. You should take into account how long the doctor has been in practice when considering malpractice averages.
The incident causing the malpractice claim may have happened years before a payment is finally made. Sometimes, it takes a long time for a malpractice lawsuit to move through the legal system.
Some doctors work primarily with high risk patients. These doctors may have malpractice histories that are higher than average because they specialize in cases or patients who are at very high risk for problems.
Settlement of a claim may occur for a variety of reasons which do not necessarily reflect negatively on the professional competence or conduct of the physician. A payment in settlement of a medical malpractice action or claim should not be construed as creating a presumption that medical malpractice has occurred.
You may wish to discuss information provided in this report, and malpractice generally, with your doctor. The Board can refer you to other articles on this subject.