Tennessee Medical Malpractice Attorneys Discuss Medical Malpractice by the Numbers

By Thomas Greer | December 8, 2014

Medical malpractice is something that no one wants to imagine could happen to them or to someone that they love. Unfortunately, medical professionals are sometimes negligent in providing health care services to those who need them. Many people wonder what kinds of medical malpractice occur, and how often. It is only natural to want to know which types of health care providers are responsible for the most incidents of malpractice and the severity of the injuries that medical malpractice victims experience. Statistics that have been compiled regarding medical malpractice provide a big-picture view of the problem of medical malpractice.

Victims of medical malpractice experience varying degrees of injury. Unfortunately, the most severe outcome from an incident of medical malpractice, death, is alleged in approximately thirty percent of medical malpractice cases. Significant permanent injury and major permanent injury are also alleged frequently, with each comprising just fewer than twenty percent of medical malpractice claims. Taken together, brain damage, injuries that require a lifetime of care, and quadriplegia account for just over ten percent of claims.

The types of medical malpractice claims that are pursued by plaintiffs fall into eight different categories. The most common claims are those that are related to incorrect diagnosis or failure to diagnose, which account for over a third of all claims. Surgery results in twenty four percent of claims, while treatment yields eighteen percent of medical malpractice claims. Obstetrical care is implicated in eleven percent of claims. Medication errors like dosage errors and incorrect prescriptions account for four percent of claims. Anesthesia is considered in a category apart from other types of medication, and errors in the use of anesthesia comprise three percent of malpractice claims. Patient monitoring results in three percent of all medical malpractice claims, whether it is a failure to monitor or monitoring which was not adequate. Of course, there are some claims which do not fit within the definitions of the previous seven categories of medical malpractice claims, and those are classified as “other”.

Medical malpractice claims involve plaintiffs who are patients and defendants who are medical professionals. Forty five percent of medical malpractice plaintiffs’ claims arise from inpatient treatment, which is nearly equal to the forty one percent that arise from outpatient treatment. Neurosurgeons face more malpractice claims than any other specialty care provider. Thoracic-cardiovascular surgeons receive the second highest amount of claims. Interestingly enough, most physicians face at least one malpractice claim over the course of a thirty year career.

If you have been hurt or you have lost someone that you because of the negligence of a health care professional, please contact a Memphis Medical Malpractice Attorney right away. The attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC can help you, so please give us a call at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case.

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