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Medical Malpractice Statistics

Medical malpractice is something that most people are familiar with, to the extent that they have a general idea of what the term refers to. While most people know what medical malpractice is, most don’t have any idea as to the medical malpractice statistics that exist in our society. Some of the medical malpractice statistics are startling, for both medical professionals as well as the patients of medical professionals.

A Look at Medical Malpractice Statistics

Fewer than one percent of doctors will face a malpractice claim during their career
There are just under 3,000 disciplinary actions taken per year
In a 1999 study it was found that more than 98,000 patients may be killed each year in hospitals due to medical errors
In New York state hospitals alone, 1% of the patients are injured due to negligence, with ¼ of those patients dying as a result
In 1988 a study found that 249,000 people were injured or killed due to errors in their medical care during a hospital stay
Some estimates argue that up to 1% of the nations doctors deserve some sort of disciplinary action each year! That would be more than 7,000 doctors being disciplined each year, which is far more than the number of actual sanctions medical errors
Between 44,000 and 98,000 people die each year due to preventable medical errors

As you can see, these medical malpractice statistics are very startling. There are a lot of people who are suffering from medical malpractice who never report it, either because they don’t know how or because they end up deceased as a result of it. The only thing that can be done is to reassure those that are suffering because of medical negligence that there are resources out there that will help you make your claim and collect the damages that you are owed for your loss of wages, inability to work, as well as pain and suffering.

The statistics are eye opening, and there are measures being taken in several states to make sure that only the best, most qualified doctors are able to treat patients. In studies it is found that doctors are just as likely to have the same issues that a lot of people have, like lack of sleep and addiction, and it’s often these things that cause the negligence to occur in the first place. Many states have been together advisory boards to help doctors deal with these issues, as well as many others, in an effort to bring down the number of malpractice claims and instances that are occurring each year.