A variety of studies over the last few years have agreed that the number of annual deaths in the United States caused by preventable hospital errors may be as high as 98,000. That’s more than 250 fatalities every day due to medical malpractice. Medical malpractice costs more than $3.6 billion per year in the United States. If you’ve been injured in a medical malpractice incident, protect yourself and speak with an experienced personal injury attorney about your legal options.
Hospitals are responding (to what is in fact a malpractice crisis) by standardizing procedures and encouraging operational changes. Hospitals are adopting what are called “high reliability” strategies that encourage medical personnel at every level to speak up if they believe a patient’s safety is at risk. The aviation industry, for example, implemented the high reliability approach decades ago. One element of high reliability in hospitals is the checklist, used to make sure that patients receive basic daily care. Another measure compels doctors and nurses to “huddle” each morning to discuss issues that might emerge throughout the day.
Diagnostic mistakes are frequently negligence-related, and if a doctor is incompetent or otherwise negligent, patients are the ones who pay the price. In southern California, if you’ve been injured (or if you’ve lost a loved one) because of medical malpractice, speak at once with a good Los Angeles personal injury lawyer. Most medical malpractice lawsuits – almost 90 percent, in fact – are settled out of court. This means the expense of filing a malpractice claim may be far less than you think. If your case does not end up going to trial, you may be able to win a satisfactory settlement, and you’ll pay less in legal fees, too. If you’re injured because of malpractice – now or in the future – get the help you need and contact an experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney immediately.