Wondering what medical malpractice is? Medical malpractice is a legal term that refers to a physician’s negligence or misdiagnosis of a patient. It usually leads to the patient’s death, and it’s not something that goes unpunished. Here are five facts about medical malpractice in the U.S.
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Deaths Emanating from Medical Malpractice
In the U.S., medical malpractice has led to more deaths than any other cause of injury, except motor vehicle accidents. Many deaths are directly related to medical malpractice in the U.S., yet there are more deaths than those caused by motor vehicle accidents. According to recent statistics, there were between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths caused by medical malpractices.
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Medical Malpractice Claims
In the US, about 450,000 to 1,000,000 patients are injured annually due to a doctor’s negligence. Patients who seek legal remedies for their injuries can recover compensation for the medical costs they have borne and the pain and suffering they experience. On average, there are between 15,000 and 18,000 medical malpractice cases annually in the U.S. court system. Therefore, this shows that the US is a region that has many malpractice cases, but these cases are settled in court.
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Injuries and Damages
There is no limit to the damages that can be recovered by a patient injured by a doctor’s mistake or omission during treatment and care. Compensation is not limited to economic losses such as medical expenses, lost wages, and funeral expenses but can also include compensation for pain and suffering. Additionally, compensation can be awarded if the medical treatment provided is inadequate. Under certain circumstances, the patient’s legal rights can even extend to the value of life. You would also like to read 5 Causes of low drive in men & How to resolve them.
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Number of Specialists faced with law claims
The US is among the top five countries regarding the number of medical specialists faced with legal claims. In addition, it is also home to more than 20% of global healthcare costs. 16% of psychiatrists in the country face legal claims yearly. 39.4% of male and 22.8% of female physicians tend to have lawsuits associated with medical malpractices. Further, over 30% of physicians pay up to $10,000 for medical insurance for instances of health malpractices. Hence, this shows that there are a lot of medical malpractice cases in the US and the judicial system acknowledges this fact.
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Surgical Errors
Such errors are one of the leading causes of damage caused by medical malpractices. These errors are more common among surgeons, who are the country’s best-paid physicians. The errors they make can result from their state of exhaustion, lack of general medical knowledge, or time constraints. In such circumstances, a surgeon may pay between $1 million and $10 million before reaching a settlement with an injured patient. Over 200 million surgical procedures are undertaken globally, and with this statistic, 4,000 surgical errors occur in the US.
In summary, medical malpractices take place in almost all healthcare facilities and regions, and various factors cause these errors. In many instances, there are no direct effects on the patient’s health. Such cases are settled in court.
