The American Medical Association says medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

How common is medical malpractice?

The American Medical Association says medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that medical malpractice kills 225,000 people every year. The U.S. patient-care study released in 2016, tracked deaths for eight consecutive years. Researchers discovered that based on 35,416,020 hospitalizations, there was 251,454 deaths per year — about 9.5 percent of all deaths — that occurred due to medical error.

According to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority (PSA) there were more than 302,000 medical errors and nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections in 2017. Fewer than 300 were fatalities.

Over the last 10 years in Pennsylvania, medical malpractice settlements and claims, as documented by the state Insurance Department fund, have held relatively steady, averaging 379 claims and $461,052 in awards. However, the number of unanticipated medical accidents or errors in hospitals, other health care facilities and nursing homes grew by 327 percent to 302,515 between calendar years 2004 and 2017 said the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority (PSA).