Startling Medical Malpractice Statistics Unveiled
The majority of patients trust their health care providers and the medical profession in general, but some statistics demonstrate that this confidence may not be justified. Medscape, an online provider of information, medical news, and related information, recently published its Medscape Malpractice Premium Report 2019 that contains some alarming information on medical malpractice claims. Along with previous reports from Medscape and data from other sources, the figures provide some insight into the frequency of errors and how they happen.
You should always consult with a Miami sepsis & septic shock lawyer if you believe negligence affected your health and well-being. However, an overview of the four most shocking statistics might be informative.
- Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the US. A 2018 study conducted by Johns Hopkins Medicine estimates that around 250,000 people die in the US every year because of medical errors by health care providers. Therefore, medical malpractice ranks third behind heart disease and cancer as a leading cause of death. More recent research has questioned the findings of researchers, stating that the estimate is too high; other studies have resulted in a higher estimate.
- Physicians are named in malpractice claims more often than you think. It may be hard to accept, but there is a good chance that your doctor may have been a defendant in a med mal case. In the Medscape Malpractice Report for 2017, survey results indicate that 48 percent of health care providers were the subject of med mal allegations levied against a group of physicians; just 13 percent were the sole target of medical malpractice claims.
- Many physicians believe malpractice claims are not well-founded. The 2019 Medscape report shows that doctors do not feel that a med mal suit is warranted in most cases. Instead of admitting that health care providers make mistakes, survey respondents blamed malpractice claims on:
- Patients who do not understand the risks of a particular treatment, so they view a poor outcome on medical error (71 percent of respondents);
- Patients who seek to hold physicians accountable by making them pay compensation (63 percent; and,
- Patients looking for a way to get easy money (23 percent).
- Misdiagnosis is the most common basis for medical malpractice claims. Among the different types of medical negligence, diagnostic errors are the top reason a patient suffers harm. The mistake could be a failure to diagnose a medical condition or delays in making a diagnosis.
Discuss Your Rights with a Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney
These statistics may be interesting, but they have particular meaning if you suffered harm because of a health care provider’s negligence. Fortunately, Florida medical malpractice laws provide you with legal options. You may qualify to recover compensation for costs of medical treatment, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses. The key to success with your claim is retaining skilled legal counsel who will protect your rights, so please contact Freidin Brown, P.A. right away. We can set up a free consultation to discuss your situation at our offices.
Resource:
medscape.com/slideshow/2019-malprac-prem-rep-6012332
