A review of recent news stories reveals a number of examples of medical errors and their tragic consequences:

• An award-winning Massachusetts surgeon mistakenly removes a patient’s kidney instead of her gallbladder.
• A 41-year-old cancer patient at a northern California medical center dies days after receiving 10 times the prescribed dose of chemotherapy medicine.
• A hospital-acquired infection leaves a 26-year-old man paralyzed.
• A 16-year-old woman dies in labor after a nurse administers an IV containing a local anesthetic, rather than the antibiotic that was ordered.

Perhaps the most shocking thing about these sad stories is that they are not unusual—mistakes like these happen every day. Patients turn to medical professionals seeking help for injury or illness; too often, the healthcare system fails them.

According to the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, between 44,000 and 98,000 people die each year because of mistakes by medical professionals. In the United States, more people die each year from medical errors than from highway accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS.

In addition to medication and surgical errors, some other types of medical errors include

• Diagnostic error
• Equipment failure
• Hospital-acquired infections and post-surgical wound infections
• Blood transfusion errors
• Misinterpretation of physicians’ orders by other medical personnel

Medical errors result in patient suffering, longer hospital stays, and increased costs.

If you or a loved one has suffered personal injury as the result of medical errors, contact our office immediately. Failure to take prompt action could jeopardize a potential claim.

Call toll-free 1-866-778-5500 today for your free legal consultation.