Step 1 :Define the null hypothesis as the proportion of medical malpractice lawsuits that are dropped or dismissed is 0.5, and the alternative hypothesis as the proportion is greater than 0.5.
Step 2 :Use a one-sample z-test for a proportion to test this hypothesis.
Step 3 :Calculate the test statistic as (p_hat - p_0) / sqrt((p_0 * (1 - p_0)) / n), where p_hat is the sample proportion, p_0 is the hypothesized population proportion, and n is the sample size.
Step 4 :Calculate the P-value as the probability of observing a test statistic as extreme as the one calculated, under the null hypothesis.
Step 5 :If the P-value is less than the significance level, reject the null hypothesis. If the P-value is greater than the significance level, fail to reject the null hypothesis.
Step 6 :Given that n = 784, x = 510, p_0 = 0.5, calculate p_hat = x/n = 0.6505102040816326.
Step 7 :Calculate the z-score as z = (p_hat - p_0) / sqrt((p_0 * (1 - p_0)) / n) = 8.428571428571427.
Step 8 :Since the P-value is 0.0, which is less than the significance level of 0.01, reject the null hypothesis.
Step 9 :Conclude that there is sufficient evidence to support the claim that most medical malpractice lawsuits are dropped or dismissed.
Step 10 :The final answer is: The P-value is \(\boxed{0.000}\). We reject the null hypothesis because the P-value is less than or equal to the significance level, \(\alpha\). There is sufficient evidence to support the claim that most medical malpractice lawsuits are dropped or dismissed.