Iowa residents may be surprised to learn that in the US, medical malpractice ranks as the third-leading cause of death. Data collected from the years 2009 to 2018 shows that more than 250,000 people die every year because of negligence on the part of medical professionals and surgical errors.
The data revealed some other interesting statistics. For example, New York state paid out $7 billion during the years from which the data was collected. It had the highest medical payouts of all the states in the US. Lawsuits involving medical malpractice between those years average out to around $309,000 in each case.
The total amount that was paid out to victims of medical malpractice between those years was $38.5 billion. There were a few cases in which significant payouts were made to individuals. The largest medical malpractice payout was $216.7 million. It was awarded to a Florida man because of a misdiagnosis.
It was the year 2015 that saw the most payouts due to medical malpractice. In just that year, $4.01 billion in damages were disbursed to victims. Professionals in the dental field, both hygienists and assistants, have the fewest amount of medical malpractice lawsuits. From the year 2009 to 2018, 45 lawsuits were paid out. Physicians are sued the most often with over 85,000 reports between those years.
Individuals who seek medical care trust that their physicians have their best interests in mind. While most doctors do their utmost to provide high-quality care, there are times when they fail their patients. A medical malpractice victim may decide to discuss his or her case with an attorney. A lawyer may offer assistance to a victim and help him or her receive the compensation he or she deserves. An attorney may even be able to represent his or her client in court.