Malpractice cases involve Injuries, illness, complications or wrongful deaths caused by mistakes of doctors, nurses, hospitals or any other healthcare providers.
Medical Malpractice (Med Mal) is generally defined as the failure of healthcare professionals (doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, etc.) to render the level of care, skill and treatment that is recognized as acceptable medical standards. In other words, the care is below the standard of what other doctors or hospitals would provide.
Statistics
Medical Malpractice is one of the nation’s leading causes of death and injury. A recent report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 90,000 to 100,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year as the result of medical malpractice, while the Journal of Patient Safety reports that each year in the United States, somewhere between 210,000 and 440,000 patients experience some type of preventable harm that causes or contributes to their death. That is the equivalent to four jumbo jets going down every single week. If medical malpractice was a disease, it would be the third leading cause of death in this country, right behind heart disease and cancer.
Some examples of medical errors that may give rise to a medical malpractice claim include:
- Anesthesia Errors
- Birth Injuries
- Blood Transfusion Errors
- Medication Errors
- Surgical Errors
- Failure to Diagnose
- Misdiagnosis
Sometimes, even if a correct diagnosis is made, the physician does not follow a proper course of treatment. Surgical errors are also common; anesthesia reactions and problems cause many deaths and injuries each year. Failure to monitor a patient during and after surgery is another common error. Occasionally, sponges, surgical instruments and other foreign matter are left inside patients, causing complications and even death. Obstetrical medical malpractice can lead to serious injuries in the infant. There are many other types of medical malpractice, each being unique unto itself.
In general, for a claim of medical malpractice to be valid, it must meet the following conditions:
- A provider-patient relationship existed
- Negligent care was rendered
- The patient suffered serious damage or harm
- The damage/harm was a direct result of negligent care
The Institute of Medicine’s report estimates that more than half of the adverse medical events occurring each year are due to preventable medical errors. These errors cause tens of thousands of deaths. The cost associated with these errors in lost income, disability, and health care costs may be as much as $29 billion annually. The consequences of medical malpractice (death or disability rather than just an inconvenience) are often more severe than the consequences of mistakes in other industries. A life or the quality of life may hang in the balance.
What to do if you or a loved one has been harmed by Medical Malpractice.
Medical Malpractice cases are accepted at our personal injury law firm on a contingency basis. You only pay our medical malpractice attorney when we recover compensation on your behalf. Call the Monk Law Firm for a free consultation. Our medical malpractice lawyer is here to help.
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