Medical Malpractice Facts and Statistics

Medical malpractice has become an increasingly popular and controversial legal action. Patients and lawyers get bashed for bringing cases against doctors who are forced to make difficult decisions that we are all aware can result in damages or death. However, the truth is that a significant number of these deaths are caused by carelessness and negligence by care providers.

A Look at the Numbers

An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association put the number of iatrogenic deaths (those that are caused by the diagnosis, manner or treatment of a physician) at 225,000 a year and ranks this as the third leading cause of death in America, behind only heart disease and cancer. This number includes:

• 12,000 deaths each year due to unnecessary surgical procedures
• 7,000 deaths each year caused by medication errors in hospitals
• 20,000 deaths each year from other hospitals errors
• 80,000 deaths each year from infections contracted in hospitals
• 106,000 deaths each year from adverse side effects of or reactions to medication

This is a large number of deaths due to the inadequate care of physicians in America. Doctors do have a very difficult job and it should be realized that they are humans and prone to mistakes, but far too many times are these deaths due to carelessness and negligence. Be aware that this is an issue and that health care providers must be held to a standard of care that is above negligent mistakes.

Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you believe that someone you love has been a victim of medical malpractice, contact the qualified Chicago medical malpractice lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at (312) 466-8200.