Medical errors are now the third leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease and cancer, a study by Johns Hopkins Medicine reveals. Over 250,000 deaths occur every year due to medical error, surpassing respiratory disease, which kills over 150,000 people annually. Medication errors, misdiagnosis, and birth injury are some of the most common types of malpractice patients should be aware of.
Medication errors
Medication errors are responsible for injuring at least 1.3 million people in the U.S. every year. One in five medication errors typically involve cardiovascular drugs (including blood pressure medication), a rate that’s more than doubled over the past two decades. Additionally, medication errors related to diabetes have risen by over 300% in the same time frame. These types of errors can happen throughout the patient care process — from selecting and ordering medication through to dispensing it. In most cases, mistakes are made due to poor communication or when multiple health providers are involved in patient care. Doctors can be responsible for making a mistake in the prescription process, while nurses may be liable for negligence regarding administration and dosage.
Medical misdiagnosis
More than 12 million adults who seek outpatient medical care in the U.S. are misdiagnosed every year, a recent report by the journal BMJ Quality & Safety reveals — that equates to as many 1 in every 20 adult patients. Moreover, around 40,000-80,000 U.S. patients die every year due to complications resulting from misdiagnosis. When a patient has been misdiagnosed, medical malpractice law can help them file a lawsuit and receive rightful compensation. Since medical misdiagnosis cases are usually complex, a comprehensive investigation into the treatment timeline and the patient’s medical records is needed to assess the legitimacy of a specific claim. These cases also come with a statute of limitations, which means a suit must be filed as soon as possible after the misdiagnosis to still be valid, JJS Justice explains.
Birth injury
Roughly 6-8 out of every 1,000 infants born in the U.S. are born with a birth injury: a physical injury sustained during childbirth, either by the mother or baby or both. The most common birth injuries include: facial paralysis, bruising, forceps marks, fractures, placental abruption, umbilical cord entrapment, and subconjunctival hemorrhage. If a healthcare professional fails to uphold the standard of care during childbirth, a mistake can be made, resulting in birth injury. While some injuries can be mild and temporary, others are severe and require lifelong medical treatment.
Although patients, on the whole, can put their trust in the U.S. healthcare system and expect a good standard of care, medical malpractice is still a risk. Medication errors, misdiagnosis, and birth injury, in particular, are some of the most common instances of malpractice to look out for. Fortunately, when such cases do occur, medical malpractice law exists to help patients secure the compensation they rightfully deserve.