Much has been made in regards to the issue of medical malpractice lawsuits in recent years, and this issue once again became a talking point in the run-up to the passage of the recent healthcare reform bill.  Partially in response to the public's awareness even before healthcare reform, new studies have been initiated to statistically measure the progress of efforts hospitals have made to avoid mistakes and the resulting harm that's done to patients who report for medical care of one type or another.  One such study has recently been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and unfortunately, the results of this study indicate that little or no progress has been made.

According to the study of 10 different North Carolina hospitals where patients were tracked from 2002 until 2007, increased efforts towards patient safety did not decrease the number of adverse events that occurred over time.  The study centered on North Carolina because the state has been a leader in these types of efforts, and both rural and urban hospitals were tracked closely during this time period.

Medical Malpractice Statistics

Specifically, the study found that approximately 18 percent of patients were harmed by medical care, and of those 18 percent, nearly two-thirds of those who were harmed suffered from mistakes that were deemed to be preventable.  In addition, 2.4 percent of patients who suffered from a mistake made by the hospital had that mistake serve as a contributing cause for that patient's death.  Finally, 2.9 percent of patients suffered an injury that was permanent in nature because of a mistake made by the hospital.

New York Medical Malpractice Lawyers

When situations like these arise, they are more than troubling - they are debilitating and extremely damaging.  When a hospital or any of its workers are guilty of these preventable mistakes, it could lead to the filing of a medical malpractice lawsuit by either the patient or the patient's surviving family members in the event of a death.  If these cases are successful, it could lead to an award of damages that compensate plaintiffs for their losses.

If you or someone you love has been harmed in the course of obtaining medical care, you need to seek the help of New York medical malpractice lawyers who have been holding those responsible for these damages for nearly 40 years.  Contact Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald today to schedule a free initial consultation.