Study Provides Shocking Statistics About Medical Malpractice

By Thomas Greer | February 16, 2014

We have all heard stories about the horrible things that can happen if a surgical tool or other foreign object gets left inside of a patient after they have had an operation. We may even have heard of cases where the wrong surgery was performed on a patient, or where a surgery was performed on the wrong part of the body. These stories are concerning on their own, as each case involves a person who has suffered tremendous harm. When you consider these types of cases as a group, it is just as concerning and perhaps even more so. In December of 2012, researchers at Johns Hopkins University released the results of a study which examined how frequently these tragic events, which often lead to medical malpractice cases, actually happen.

The patient safety researchers at Johns Hopkins University refer to the subject matter of their study, the surgical adverse events which lead to medical malpractice cases, as “never events”. A “never event” is an occurrence for which there is a universal opinion within the medical profession that it should never happen during surgery. Examples of “never events” include surgical implements like sponges being left inside of patients after surgery, patients being given the wrong surgery, and surgeries being performed on the wrong part of the body.

Just how frequently do these “never events” occur? The researchers estimate that approximately 4,044 of these surgical disasters happen every year in the United States. Based upon the data that the researchers analyzed, it is estimated that each week, twenty surgical patients receive the wrong surgery. Another twenty patients receive surgery on the wrong part of their body. Thirty nine more patients have a surgical implement left inside of their body after their operations.

The researchers believe that the “never events” estimates that were reported in this study may actually be lower than the actual occurrence of such events because the estimates were based upon the number of medical malpractice cases that were filed. Also, the numbers were based upon information that hospitals reported voluntarily, which means that some “never events” that occurred may not have been reported to the federal Joint Commission which assesses hospital safety. Another reason that the estimates in the Johns Hopkins study may be conservative is that sometimes, especially in cases where surgical implements are left behind, the “never event” is never discovered. Other times, the mistake may be found out, but it may have caused little to no damage, and thus no medical malpractice claim is filed because of it.

Cases involving foreign objects which are left behind after surgery, wrong site surgeries, and incorrect surgeries are just a few examples of medical malpractice. Other common medical malpractice situations include misdiagnoses, failure to diagnose in a timely manner, and incorrect prescriptions. Medical malpractice occurs any time a health care provider’s negligence causes undue harm to a patient. If you or someone that you love has been injured as a result of the negligence of a health care provider, it is essential that you seek the assistance of a skilled medical malpractice attorney. The knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC have the experience that is necessary to evaluate your case and answer all of your questions.  We will sit down with you to help you determine the best way to proceed.  Please call our office today, at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case with us.  At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.

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