The Medical Malpractice Statistics and Facts Every Lawyer Should Know

When you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital, you want to assume you are being treated by people who are highly skilled and focused on the details necessary to get you or keep you healthy.

So, it can be disconcerting to learn between 65,000 and 200,000 deaths happen each year because of medical accidents.

While many doctors and health care professionals do their jobs with the utmost care and professionalism, medical malpractice statistics can be startling and worrisome.

You don’t want a doctor who will make mistakes when caring for you. Read on to learn more about these surprising statistics.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Let’s start with a good understanding of medical malpractice. When medical malpractice happens, a doctor, healthcare provider, or hospital is responsible for some type of injury to a patient because of negligence or omission of care.

Medical malpractice can happen through a variety of events. Some of the most common include:

• Mistakes with prescription drug
• Failure to diagnose heart disease
• Failure to diagnose cancer
• Misdiagnosis of a serious disease
• Errors in care while a patient is in the emergency room
• Surgical error or post-surgical infections
• Injury from birth
• Wrongful amputation

Medical malpractice can even happen with the medical team that doesn’t provide adequate care or is responsible for the unethical treatment of a patient.

Startling Statistics

The statistics for negligence and medical malpractice for patient care are startling. Here are some to consider:

• There was £1.6billion on medical negligence claims last year
• £24 per person were paid out in medical negligence claims
• $195,000 is the median amount of money paid out compensation from malpractice cases
• $3.7 billion was paid out in malpractice suits in the US in 2013
• Malpractice claims from a variety of areas including diagnosis (33%), surgery (23%), treatment (18%), obstetrics (10%), and medication/anesthesia (10%)
• The 3rd largest cause of death is medical negligence
•  80,000 to 100,000 deaths happen each year because of misdiagnosis
• 195,000 patients die each year in hospitals because their illness is diagnoses incorrectly
• 80% of malpractice cased that is filed in court amount to no payout for those filing
• One in three patients will be the victim of an error during a hospital stay

Malpractice cases happen when a person visits the doctor’s office or gets outpatient care about 38% of the time. While 45% of the time, medical malpractice happens to patients in an inpatient setting.

Know the Risks and Understanding Medical Malpractice Statistics

Doctors and medical personnel are highly trained and work for years to gain the experience to work in the medical field. While these medical malpractice statistics can be daunting, it’s important to remember that the people who treat you in a medical emergency or even when you need to see the doctor are highly skilled and trained.

You need to pay attention while receiving medical care and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself or your needs. You also need to stand up for yourself if you are mistreated or the victim of medical malpractice.

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