Alarming Statistics Show Medical Malpractice is the Third Leading Cause of Death in America

You go into the hospital for a simple procedure, confident the doctor will perform their job as they ensure you that you’re in good hands. A few hours later as you wake up in the hospital, concerned eyes surround the bed. You feel pain in a different part of your body than what was scheduled to be operated on.

What happened? Wasn’t this supposed to be an easy, outpatient surgery? You find out the doctor operated on the WRONG part of your body… how could this happen?

2017 Medical Malpractice Statistics

Caption: Allen Tittle, Cleveland’s Medical Malpractice Lawyer. I’ve discussed in the past that the third leading cause of death in America is Medical Malpractice. Let me repeat that. Right behind heart disease and cancer, the third leading cause of death is medical malpractice. This has to change. The most common types of medical malpractice that we see here in the office, and also, fortunately, studies have been done to show us what the most common medical malpractice claims are. In 2017, here in Ohio, 34% of medical malpractice claims had to do with Misdiagnosis, 24% had to do with surgical mistakes, 18% treatment mistakes, 10% birth injuries, 4% medication errors, 4% patient monitoring issues, and 6% other. Something has to be done to ensure that preventable deaths do not occur as a result of medical malpractice. One of the only ways that we can do that is through medical malpractice lawsuits. You folks that sit in that jury are the conscious of this community. If you or a loved one, or your father, your mother, husband, wife, feel that you are a victim of medical malpractice, please visit our website, give us a call, download our free E-Book. We have to do something to change this, and it starts with you. Take care.

Medical Malpractice Defined

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, medical malpractice is defined as “any act or omission by a physician during treatment of a patient that deviates from accepted norms of practice in the medical community and causes an injury to the patient”.

Medical Malpractice covers a variety of issues including, but not limited to, physician negligence, misdiagnosis, surgical errors, hospital negligence, and medication and prescription errors.

Medical Malpractice Payouts

In 2017, there were over $3.8 Billion in medical malpractice payouts given to victims and grieving family members in the U.S. Ohio alone accounted for nearly $78 Million- equaling a payout of around $6.69 per person in the state.

The most frequent medical mistake resulting in malpractice cases in 2017 involved misdiagnosis. Attorney Allen Tittle explains, “ One of the biggest issues for potential causes of action that we see in medical malpractice cases has to do with misdiagnosis. Doctors must rule out or treat conditions that are the most life-threatening or most life-altering first. And when they don’t, patients can either die, become paralyzed, or lose a limb.”

The second most frequent medical allegation involved surgical errors. Surgical errors can occur during preparation for surgery, during the operation itself, or even after the procedure is complete. Some of the most common surgical errors include cutting or puncturing organs not involved in the procedure, leaving behind surgical instruments in the patient’s body, and operating on the wrong part of the body.

Unfortunately, medical malpractice can often lead to severe injuries including brain damage, quadriplegia, and death. In 2017, death was the leading outcome for medical malpractice payouts in almost ⅓ of cases, followed by significant permanent injury.

Get Help for Medical Malpractice

Have you or a loved one experienced severe injury or even death from medical malpractice? Fill out our contact form for a free consultation or call (216) 308-1522 so we can help you fight for the justice you deserve.