Medical Errors Become the Third Leading Cause of Death in US

A new report from Johns Hopkins University has found that medical errors are now the third leading cause of death in the United States. According to the report, there is an astounding 251,000 deaths each year that are due to common, preventable errors that occur in healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. That means, 700 people die each day because a medical error.

What is considered a medical error? According to the researcher who led the study, Martin Makary, there are various sources that cause medical errors, from bad doctors to issues in the organization such as communications breakdown or patients just being handed off to other departments.

Medical error deaths have been almost an epidemic in this country for years now. In a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine, there have been an estimated 98,000 deaths a year caused by simple errors such as a delays in diagnosis, communication problems, and equipment failures. And with Johns Hopkins new report, it looks like this epidemic is just getting worse and worse.

Any injury that is caused by medical malpractice can affect your life. You may have to deal with expensive medical costs, ongoing and sometimes painful treatments, a loss in employment, and emotional stress. All these could have been prevented if the doctor or healthcare professional had been paying attention to your case.

If you have been a victim of a medical error in New Jersey, get the legal help that you deserve. Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone now for a free consultation.