Most Washington residents do not know anyone who has suffered injury or death from a medical malpractice event. As such, they may not be directly familiar with the pain and hardship associated with them. Nevertheless, medical malpractice is a widespread problem these days and it doesn’t look like it will be going away anytime soon.
This article will be a brief review of the current statistics related to medical malpractice throughout the country:
— A recent study indicates that 60 percent of medical malpractice victims are female with the median age of 38. Approximately 20 percent of medical malpractice victims are newborns and 12 percent are over the age of 65.
— OBGYNs companies and/or doctors tend to be the defendants in 19 percent of medical malpractice cases. General surgeons are defendants in 17 percent of cases and primary care physicians are defendants in 16 percent of cases.
— On average, a successfully navigated medical malpractice lawsuit will compensate its victims approximately $365,000 for an inpatient care claim. An outpatient care claim will compensate victims approximately $290,000.
— In inpatient cases, 34 percent of them stem from surgical errors. In outpatient cases, 46 percent of them stem from diagnosis errors.
Medical malpractice trends are always changing in the United States and Washington. The most important thing to note here is that even if you and your family have not been directly affected by this pandemic problem, it does not mean you are safe from it. If you suspect that medical malpractice has negatively touched you or your family, you may want to discuss the facts of your case with an experienced personal injury attorney immediately.
Source: newswire.net, “Medical Malpractice on the Increase,” Sara Williams, Sep. 26, 2016
