Tragedy in Numbers: 5 Facts About Medical Malpractice
Doctors and medical professionals have a professional obligation to provide their patient with a level of care that promotes the health and well-being of the patient. This understanding is the basis of every visit we make to a medical professional. We want them to uphold their duty to help improve our physical health and well being.
Unfortunately, this does not always happen. Every year, thousands of Americans suffer at the hands of their doctors, leaving them physically injured or incapacitated. Preventable mistakes cause lasting harm. Here are the shocking statistics behind medical malpractice in the US.
440,000
Every year, between 210,000 and 440,000 patients experience complications caused by human error that ultimately leads to their death. This makes preventable medical errors the third-leading cause of the death in the United States, behind only heart disease and cancer. More people die from medical errors than drug overdoses. Be aware of the statistics of wrongful death from medical malpractice and if you or your loved one falls victim to malpractice, be aware that you may be entitled to compensation.
80%
Medical malpractice is far more widespread than most people imagine. In fact, 80% of problems that arise in the US health system are due to human error. The top five areas where human errors occur, and medical malpractice allegations are made, are within the diagnosis, surgery, treatment, obstetrics, and anesthesia.
30%
Unfortunately, the patient and their family are only informed that a medical error occurred in 30% of cases. This means that there is a culture of cover-up within the medical system. Doctors try to avoid telling their patients about mistakes out of fear of being sued.
However, if they are caught trying to cover up an incident of medical malpractice, the consequences can be far more damaging. If you detect you or your loved one was the victim of a medical error, or that your doctor or medical professional is trying to cover anything up, contact a skilled medical malpractice lawyer to find out how much you could be entitled to.
$195,000
The average payout for a medical malpractice case in 2013 was $195,000. With 95% of cases being settled out of court, the good news is that if you have suffered at the hands of your doctor or surgeon, there is support and compensation available.
Every year, between $17 and $29 billion is dished out to victims of medical malpractice in hospitals in the United States. If all the instances of medical malpractice led to a claim, the figure would be far higher. Currently, only one in eight preventable medical errors results in a malpractice claim.
One in Six
Among doctors that have five or more medical malpractice cases against them, only one in six receives disciplinary action from state medical boards. This suggests that although malpractice is commonplace, very little is being done at a local level to tackle the problem and bring the number of preventable accidents down.
Medical malpractice attorneys and lawyers are here to ensure the right people are held accountable for their mistakes and to offer you support on your crusade to get the justice you deserve. They cannot reverse the mistake, but they can ease the financial burden that incidents of medical malpractice have placed on you and your family.
