Every year, approximately 440,000 people in the United States are killed every year as a result of hospital, physician, and nurse errors. According to Diederich Healthcare’s 2013 Medical Malpractice Payout Analysis, $3.6 billion was spent in medical malpractice payouts. This accounted for 12,142 total malpractice payouts, which is one every 43 minutes.
Every year, approximately 440,000 people in the United States are killed every year as a result of hospital, physician, and nurse errors. According to Diederich Healthcare’s 2013 Medical Malpractice Payout Analysis, $3.6 billion was spent in medical malpractice payouts. This accounted for 12,142 total malpractice payouts, which is one every 43 minutes.
There are different ways to avoid becoming another victim of medical malpractice. These include:
· Do a background check – To make sure that you get the best possible medical care is to check the background of the doctors and hospitals that you choose. Starting online is a fantastic idea, but keep in mind that you will not find all the information you need. You can find information like education, medical license status, certifications, disciplinary and legal actions, etc. from the website of the medical board in your state.
· Repeat your personal details – Although you may feel a stupid for doing so, you need to get into the habit of repeating your personal details, like your full name, date of birth and the treatment or procedure you are getting to every doctor, nurse and technician with whom you interact. This is because many medical errors result from a mix-up related to these important details.
· Confirm your identity – The American Hospital Association states that at least two different ways of confirming identities should be used by hospital staff. This means that in addition to asking for your name and birth date, you should ask them to check your bracelet to ensure that you are the person who should be where you are before the medical staff takes any action. If your bracelet has a barcode, they should scan it electronically. Also, make sure that all the information on your bracelet is accurate when you put it on.
· Request chart checks – It is not enough for your doctor, nurse or technician to confirm your procedure. Just because the right procedure is stated, it does not mean that your chart reflects the correct information. Also, make sure that you request them to ensure that the procedure details in your chart are confirmed every step of the way.
· Request marking – It is common practice for patients to mark the surgical site on their bodies before getting a procedure. However, unless the surgeon is there in the room with you, there is no guarantee that the surgeon knows about the marking. This is why you should make sure that the surgeon is in the room with you when you mark your body.
Medical Errors and Medical Malpractice
Thousands of medical malpractice lawsuits are filed every year in the United States. The sad fact is that lawsuits are a result of preventable medical errors. Medical malpractice is a long and complex process which requires legal expertise. If you are a victim of a medical error caused by your doctor or any medical professional’s negligence, you may be able to receive the right compensation for your medical bills, injuries, loss, pain and suffering, loss of income, and so forth.
If you have been injured due to the negligence of your doctor or any other medical professional, you should seek the legal assistance of a skilled and experienced medical malpractice attorney at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000.
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