How Many People Die From Medical Malpractice in the USA?
A Johns Hopkins study revealed medical malpractice to be the third leading reason behind the deaths in the US. Errors committed by medical professionals may seem to be trivial, but they can lead to severe results. While healthcare is considered to be a responsible work domain, every practitioner is expected to keep their occupation on the top. Surprisingly, tens of thousands of people lose their lives to the mistakes of their doctors and nurses. Add fuel to the fire; most of these errors are preventable and the reason for fatigue of the professionals.
Whenever in pain, an individual is likely to run towards his doctor and place immense trust in him. It can be daunting to see the same medical professional commit mistakes that further worsen the health condition. Such malpractices lead to an increased threat to human life and put professional ethics into a questionable phase.
Medical Malpractice Contributes To Financial Sector
Medical malpractice also contributes to the financial sector of the country. According to reports, New York totaled close to $690 million of payouts for its medical negligence in the year 2014. Such stats send a shiver down the spine when they reason about something which is preventable and originating from human errors.
Medical professionals are bound by the law to keep their patients safe in the hospitals. Whether it is a doctor, nurse, or clinical assistant— all bear the responsibility of the people they treat. Faults in their practices that impact the patient can have severe outcomes. The medical professional may also be liable to pay for the damages caused by his negligence. In some cases, these can also be considered as a crime against the law.
There are various kinds of malpractices that are commonly reported by impact-bearers. These include:
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Errors Due to Intravenous Devices
Most hospital admissions and treatments involve Intravenous devices(IV) to be injected into our bodies. Immense care and eye to detail are vital while one attempts to proceed with IV devices. Negligence in the procedure can result in air embolisms within the body. These are the air bubbles that enter the blood and cause pain.
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Anesthesia Errors
Making mistakes while administering anesthesia can cause serious illnesses and pains. Though such type of error is not very common, yet it can lead to disastrous conditions of the body. Medical practitioners are required to be immensely careful while applying anesthesia during surgeries and operations. These malpractices can be of the wrong dosage, using unlabeled syringes, or giving the wrong drug.
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Misdiagnosis
According to studies, being the most common source for medical malpractices, misdiagnosis is the errors committed while diagnosing the patients for ailments. Failing to identify the correct disease or delaying the diagnosis process can lead to severe implications, which, in some cases, can also be fatal.
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Unneeded Surgeries
Often, doctors and clinical professionals fail to keep the patients informed about the effectiveness of a particular surgery, giving rise to unnecessary treatments. It is imperative for patients to be aware of whether the procedures are needed or not. Certain diseases can be well handled by more minor invasive treatments and require no significant surgeries at all.
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Childbirth Injuries
Severe birth conditions result from negligence by medical staff at the time of delivery or before. It is the duty of the doctor to be aware of both the mother’s and child’s health state. Lack of attention during childbirth can also prove to be fatal.
Roots of the Problem: Fatigue and Miscommunication
Medical professionals must meet their “duty of care” to ensure the safety of each life they look after. Negligence towards their work is found to have fatigue and miscommunication as their starting points. When the doctor is sleep-deprived, or there is a miscommunication amongst the medical team, malpractices occur.
In addition to these reasons, doctors who do not continue to study further to enrich their knowledge can also lead to medical malpractices. Continued education is integral for staying updated on the latest developments and researches happening in the field worldwide.
Legal Assistance to the Impact-Bearers
Every individual must be aware of their rights for challenging the wrong-doings of the medical professionals. If they have been the victims of medical malpractices, the specialists and doctors involved are liable to pay for the resulting damages. Firm lawsuits can be pursued to realize the accountability of their incorrect treatments.
Our dedicated lawyers at Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato are here to help you with your legal affairs and fight for due medical compensations. Reach out to us today at (833) 704-4878 and get a free consultation to start with!
