Medical Errors Are Now a Leading Cause of Death

We look to doctors to improve our health conditions, not make them worse. Shocking but true, a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests that routine medical errors are third on the list of leading causes of death in the United States, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer.

Medical errors are not legally required to be reported in the event of death, but these mistakes are frequent and can be fatal. In the United States, such mistakes have resulted in 251,000 deaths each year; that’s a whopping 9.5% percent of total deaths. According to the study, medical errors likely cause more deaths than automobile accidents, stroke, respiratory disease, or Alzheimer’s.
While medical errors could happen for a number of reasons, the most common include:

• Injuries from immobility or falling
• Childbirth complications
• Infections from IVs or catheters
• Drug complications
• Surgical site infections
• Miscommunication
• Inadequately-trained or distracted medical professionals

If medical errors result in this many deaths, the severe injuries they cause are significantly more prevalent. Unfortunately, many of these errors go unreported and those responsible are rarely held accountable. For the sake of all of us who rely on medical professionals, this is an issue that studies such as the Johns Hopkins one seek to address.

If you think you that you or a loved one has experienced the ill effects of a medical error, you may be able to mount a successful case. Contact the Milwaukee personal injury lawyers of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. for a free consultation.