Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in U.S.

Medical malpractice

A stunning article from the Washington Post is sending shockwaves throughout the country about medical malpractice. According to a new study, medical errors are now the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Regular readers of our site probably aren’t too surprised by that news as we’ve been talking quite a bit lately about the prevalence of surgical errors. You can read those articles here and here.

What is shocking, though, is that – according to the study from Johns Hopkins University – there are approximately 700 deaths per day from avoidable treatment errors. That translates into more than 250,000 deaths annually!

Substandard Treatment Leads to Death

Just to be clear what the report is saying, we are talking about negligence. These are people who go to a doctor or hospital, and wind up dying because of improper treatment. It’s not simply a case of bad doctors practicing bad medicine. Rather, the scope is wide and includes systemic breakdowns up and down the chain of command in the surgical room.

Will Medical Professionals Take Action?

Back in 1999, a report from the National Academy of Sciences stunned just about everyone in the country by revealing that preventable medical errors were an “epidemic.”  That was in 1999! In that report, deaths from medical error were estimated to be about 98,000. Remember, the Johns Hopkins reports puts the new number at 250,000.

Another important finding from the Johns Hopkins researchers was the news that the Centers for Disease Control does not classify medical errors separately on death certificates, on billing codes or other data. This makes the disturbing truth of what is going on nationally harder to find.

The Fitzgerald Law Firm: A National Force in Holding Doctors Accountable
Here at the Fitzgerald Law Firm, our national reputation for securing proper compensation for those who have suffered from medical malpractice is strong. In fact, we’ve helped our clients recover over $1 billion collectively for their experiences. We can do the same for you.

If you feel that you’ve been a victim of medical malpractice, contact us here at The Fitzgerald Law Firm today by calling 800-323-9900!

 

 

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