The amount of money paid out in compensation claims by NHS Tayside has quadrupled in less than five years.
In 2014-15, the health board spent £4.5 million settling claims made by patients and carers compared to £968,288 paid out in 2010-11.
NHS Tayside received 1,676 complaints in 2014 as against 761 in 2010.
A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said the complaints were a way of gathering information about patient and carer experience.
But Margaret Watt, chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association, said an increased culture of legal action could be to blame and said the people making these complaints need to realise the damage it can do.
She said: “People are more likely to sue when something goes wrong. These types of things always happen, but you would hope that they would decrease rather increase.
“Every claim is taking money off the NHS which could have paid for more doctors, nurses or equipment.”
