A study by the anesthesiology department at Massachusetts General Hospital has revealed that some form of medication error unforeseen drug side effect occurs in nearly half of all surgeries in the U.S. Coincidentally, numbers released by the Civil Justice Resource Group says that only 2.9 percent of medical malpractice victims actually file claims. What gives?
Why Surgery Mistakes Are Common
In the study carried out by Massachusetts General Hospital, researchers found that while mistakes happen in just about every other operation, the ones that take longer to complete were the most likely to experience errors.
The more common errors include errors with anesthesia, incorrect procedure performed, incorrect dosage amount of medicine and improper monitoring of a patient’s vital signs.
Why So Few File for Medical Malpractice
Let’s look at a few more numbers. From the Civil Justice Resource Group, it’s estimated that 225,000 people in the U.S. lose their lives each year due to medical malpractice. The Journal of the American Medical Association has said that 106,000 more will die annually because of negative effects from medication.
With those kinds of numbers coupled with the fact that something can go wrong in just about half of all surgeries, it can be puzzling why more people do not bring forth their own medical malpractice suit. Perhaps it’s because some people simply do not look at themselves as victims or become discouraged at how long many medical malpractice cases can take.
Confusion could certainly be an issue. In an earlier blog, we spoke of the complexity of medical malpractice law and how it varies from state to state. Just about everything – from time limits (statute of limitations) and caps on how much can be awarded depends upon which state you’re in.
The Fitzgerald Law Firm Can Fight On Your Behalf
We realize the thought of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit may seem intimidating. We know because we’ve successfully represented hundreds of medical malpractice cases nationwide for more than 40 years.
If you feel that you’ve been a victim of medical malpractice, we invite you to come in for a free consultation. Contact us here at The Fitzgerald Law Firm today by calling 800-323-9900!