National Medical Malpractice Statistics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) January 24, 2012 -- Medical malpractice kills and injures hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. Medical errors are often preventable, and much debate has ensued over the need for medical negligence reform and measures to curb rates of malpractice.

When you relinquish control of your health to a medical professional, you have a reasonable expectation that these professionals will properly diagnose and treat your condition, and provide informed care meeting accepted medical standards. While the majority of physicians, nurses, surgeons and other healthcare workers are responsible, knowledgeable individuals looking out for your best interest, some individuals are careless and negligent when providing care. An examination of national medical malpractice statistics reveals an indication of how often these mistakes occur.
Prevalence of Medical Malpractice
A widespread problem, medical malpractice injuries have impacted the lives of countless American families. According to information compiled by the American Association for Justice (AAJ):
• About 98,000 people are killed each year as a result of preventable medical errors.
• Nearly 200,000 people are seriously injured each year as a result of preventable medical errors.
• About 18 percent of hospital patients are injured at some point in their care.
• About 40 wrong-site and wrong patient surgeries occur each week.

Most medical malpractice injuries go unreported, and the injured parties never file a claim. Those who do file a claim are searching primarily for an explanation of their injuries, according to AAJ. Receiving compensation to help pay for your injury is critically important, but you may also want to know why this injury occurred. Most doctors do not tell their patients when a medical error occurred. The only way to find out why you were injured may be through filing a lawsuit. For this reason, the motivation behind many medical malpractice claims is accountability for negligent actions.
Common Medical Errors
Medical malpractice claims vary from case-to-case. Wrong-site surgery, administering the wrong medication, and failing to diagnose a life-threatening condition are all examples of medical negligence.

According to AAJ, medical negligence claims appear in the following ways:
• 39 percent significant personal injury
• 26 percent death
• 17 percent minor physical or emotional injury, or breach of consent
• 15 percent major physical injury
• 3 percent no adverse injury

Research has shown that most medical malpractice claims are not frivolous – compensation is rarely provided in cases where no error occurred. More frequently, errors lead to injuries that are never compensated.
To learn more about medical errors, please visit the website of the experienced medical malpractice attorneys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Atlee, Hall & Brookhart, LLP.

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