Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice is defined as when any treatment, lack of treatment, or departure from accepted medical standards, by a health care provider, results in harm to a patient. The types of medical malpractice are numerous. Here are some examples of medical malpractice.

• Improper treatment
• A delay in treatment which results in harm to a patient
• Prescription / Medication errors
• Wrong diagnosis
• Failure to treat
• Failure by the health-care provider to perform appropriate follow-up treatment.

Medical malpractice can result in the death or unnecessary suffering on behalf of the patient. There have been numerous incidents in the last few years, where hospital/medical staff errors have resulted in patients having the wrong limbs removed. I'm sure you've read some of those horror stories. Did you know that the Journal of the American Medical Association, says that over 225,000 people die each year due to medical malpractice? As a matter of fact, medical malpractice has become the 3rd leading cause of death in America. Those 225,000 deaths due to medical malpractice are caused by these types of errors:

• 7,000 people die each year due to medication errors in hospitals
• 20,000 people die each year due to other types of errors in hospitals
• 12,000 people die each year due to unnecessary surgery
• 80,000 people die each year from nosocomial infections in hospitals
• 106,000 people die each year from adverse reactions to medications

All in all, the statistics are frightening. If you feel that you or someone that you know has been the victim of medical malpractice, please consult an attorney. As always, the information found on this site is not intended to be legal advice. To get legal advice, you must contact a qualified attorney, and allow him/her to know the specifics of your case.

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Please Note:
Statutes of limitation may apply and determine how long you have to file a lawsuit. In the case of personal injury litigation, the type of injury as well as the state the injury occurred in are some of the factors used to determine the length of time you have in which to file a lawsuit. Read the statute of limitations in your state.