Medical Malpractice Lawsuits and How Settlements Work
Common Types of Medical Malpractice Damages
According to a recent analysis, medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer. Experts say that this “epidemic” claims at least 250,000 lives each year across the nation.
Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice Claims
As per a report issued by Journal of the American Medical Association, medical negligence is said to be the third leading cause of untimely deaths in the United States, right behind heart disease and cancer. Additionally, according to the 2016 medical malpractice payout analysis by Diederich Healthcare, malpractice payouts increased for the third year in a row in 2015. Payouts across the US totaled $3.95 million, which is an increase of 1.68% from 2014.
Common Mistakes that can Lead to Medical Malpractice Claims
According to hospital records, the minimum number of deaths caused by medical accidents is 65,000 to 200,000. 25,000 to 120,000 deaths are a result of medical negligence. 0.8% to 1% of hospital patients become victims of malpractice. 2.9% of these victims file medical malpractice claims. Of these, 1/3 of 1% medical malpractice cases go to trial and 1/10 of 1% win a trial verdict in their favor.
How to Avoid 10 Common Malpractice Claims
As per reports released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), approximately 2,449 medical malpractice cases were disposed of by either the jury or bench trial in state courts of general jurisdiction across the United States in 2005. Roughly 99% of these trials were decided by a jury. Plaintiffs prevailed in less than a quarter of trials involving medical malpractice.
