THE TRUTH ABOUT MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LITIGATION FACT SHEET
The Center for Justice and Democracy at New York Law School just released an interesting fact sheet entitled "The Truth About Medical Malpractice Litigation," which dispels many of the myths associated with medical malpractice lawsuits and tort reform. As Chicago medical malpractice attorneys, we believe that individuals injured or killed as a result of a healthcare provider's negligence should be fully compensated for their losses. We also believe that healthcare providers must be held accountable for their actions.
According to the fact sheet, "each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans are killed or injured by avoidable medical errors." In fact, according to a November 2010 study by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services," about 1 in 7 Medicare patients in hospitals experience a serious medical error, 44 percent of which are preventable." Despite the great amount of medical negligence, research into 2008 medical malpractice case filings showed that “well under 2 percent of all incoming civil cases, and less than 8 percent of incoming tort cases” represented medical malpractice matters. That fact is quite different than the picture that tort reform proponents paint on a daily basis. Those trying to limit victim’s rights to recovery would have the public believe that medical malpractice filings are numerous and frivolous.
Other interesting facts contained within the fact sheet involve statistics related to malpractice leading to wrongful death, paralysis, amputation, brain and head injury and burns, lacerations, skin infections and other skin injuries. The fact sheet notes:
"[D]eath was by far the most frequent type of injury among successful medical malpractice plaintiffs, accounting for 22 percent of med mal victims who prevailed at trial. '[I]n the paralysis /amputation category, 100 percent of medical malpractice cases in which the plaintiff received an award involved paralysis caused by injury to the spine or brain. In the brain/head injury category, all injuries alleged by successful medical malpractice claimants were permanent…For burns, lacerations, skin infections, and other skin injuries, all winning medical malpractice patients suffered permanent injuries….'”
This shows that medical malpractice lawsuits often involve serious, life-threatening and life-changing injuries, and not minor injuries. More information about "The Truth About Medical Malpractice Litigation" can be found at The Center for Justice and Democracy's website. Their blog, "The Pop Tort," also published a quiz aimed at answering questions about the medical malpractice system in this country. The Illinois medical malpractice attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll encourage you to take the medical malpractice quiz and learn the truth about medical malpractice litigation.
