Medical malpractice claims about 250,000 lives a year. This means that nearly 1 out of 10 deaths in our country annually are due to medical errors.
There are also no doubt countless other adverse outcomes and other injuries due to medical malpractice every year.
Medical errors are surprisingly common. Supposedly, providers can make careless mistakes up to 15% of the time when they are performing a procedure or prescribing medicine.
While not all these mistakes cause serious injuries or lead to legal claims, given how often mistakes happen, it is not surprising so many people die or suffer preventable injuries at the hands of doctors and other providers.
About 1 out of 3 of all medical malpractice claims are due to a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. Diagnostic errors may mean a patient will receive a useless or harmful treatment. At a minimum, a misdiagnosis can cost a patient valuable time to treat a serious medical problem.
Other common reasons for medical malpractice claims include surgical errors, prescription drug errors and anesthesia errors.
With respect to settlement payments and verdicts, the highest paid claims arise in cases where a newborn suffers brain injuries because of a complicated childbirth.
Illinois has a medical malpractice problem
According to a recent article in Forbes magazine, Illinois ranks among the top five states by the dollar amount of medical malpractice payouts. In 2022, Illinois saw $222 million paid to victims of medical malpractice either after a verdict or following a settlement.
While there are many reasons for this, it suggests that this state has a problem with medical professionals doing substandard work too often.
Those in the Chicago area who believe they may have lost a loved one or who have suffered an injury because of medical malpractice have legal options available to them. They should not have to bear the financial and emotional toll of medical malpractice alone.