The Frequency of Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice is fairly rare – rare enough that most Americans assume it will never happen to them. The sad truth is that millions of Americans have been the victims of negligent medical care that left them injured by the very people to whom they entrusted their well-being. While it can be uncomfortable to think about, medical malpractice can happen to anyone. Doctors are people, too, and are liable to make mistakes when under the extreme pressure that many of them face day in and day out.

If you’ve been injured by a medical professional, you may be entitled to seek financial compensation. To learn more about how you can fight for the money you deserve, contact the Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., by calling 610-667-7511 today.

Medical Malpractice Statistics

Unfortunately, detailed, nation-wide statistics about malpractice are non-existent. However, there have been several studies over the years which help put the prevalence of malpractice in perspective:

• A 1984 study conducted by Harvard found that around 1% of the sample group had experienced negligent medical care that had left them injured or worse. About 1 in 4 of these patients died as the result of medical errors.
• This data, if extrapolated, would mean that 234,000 people were injured nation-wide, and 80,000 were killed.
• Other studies conducted by the HEW Malpractice Commission and other groups in previous years had found similar results.
• A more recent study conducted by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences estimated that approximately 98,000 people die every year because of insufficient medical treatment.

Contact Us

If you or someone you love has been the victim of negligent medical care, contact the Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., today by calling 610-667-7511.