Researching the medical malpractice records of doctors
New York residents sometimes perform online searches before choosing a physician, but the results provided by search engines like Google and Yahoo do not always tell the whole story. The medical community is rarely eager to share the details of malpractice lawsuits, and a desire to contain this kind of information leads to many such lawsuits being settled with the plaintiffs signing nondisclosure agreements.
New Medical Malpractice Concerns and How to Avoid Them
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), malpractice ranks number three among the leading causes of death in the United States, coming in behind cancer and heart disease. There is an average of one payout every 43 minutes.
Liability for a Misdiagnosis of Stroke
According to a recent study, in the United States, at least one in 20 adults, or 12 million people each year, may be misdiagnosed when they go to see their physicians. Researchers estimated that about 50% of these diagnosis errors have the potential to cause serious harm.
Misdiagnosis of Stroke and Medical Malpractice
According to a new study published in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety, approximately 12 million adults in the United States who seek outpatient medical care are misdiagnosed every year. This amounts to 1 out of 20 patients and according to researchers, 50% of those misdiagnosis cases has the potential to cause severe harm.
A Comprehensive Guide to Help Prevent Medical Errors
One in every seven Medicare patients in hospitals succumbs to a medical error. In 1999, it was reported that 98,000 patients in hospitals across the US were dying from a medical error! Today, decades later, in times where we have access to world class medical technology and expertise, the number of deaths each year from preventable errors in hospitals has sky-rocketed to a whopping 440,000!
Preventable hospital mistakes
When ill people go to a New York hospital, they probably do so with the expectation that the treatment will help improve their conditions. In some cases, however, mistakes are made that lead to serious harm.
Mother sues obstetrician after damage in childbirth
A New York mother was awarded $50 million after she sued her obstetrician for injuries she suffered during a 2009 childbirth. In addition to suffering tissue lacerations, the woman was given an unnecessary episiotomy that did not heal correctly. The woman’s digestive system was also damaged. There should not have been any complications with her second childbirth.
Medical Malpractice Claims against Psychiatrists
According to the American Medical Association, more than 60% of doctors aged 55 and over in the United States have been sued at least once. Failure to diagnose was the leading cause of malpractice allegation in 2012. 10% to 20% of cases involved incorrect, delayed, or missed diagnosis.
Blindness or Loss of Vision and Medical Malpractice Claims
According to the American Medical Association, medical malpractice lawsuits have been filed against 42% of physicians in the United States at some point in their careers. 20% were sued two times during their professional lives. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), over 24.4 million people aged 40 years and older in the US are affected by cataracts and over 2.7 million are affected by glaucoma. Needless to say, countless eye surgery is performed every year.
The Challenges You Face in Winning a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
According to a Journal of American Medical Association article, medical malpractice claims an estimated 225,000 lives each year. These incidents can be divided into several groups including: