There are unfortunately too many tragic situations that occur, permanently affecting lives, and that could have been avoided. We see these types of scenarios in drunk driving collisions, fires caused by careless smokers, injuries or deaths on the job where safety guidelines were not followed, and in medical malpractice cases, to name a few. Human life is precious, and when we take our eyes off of that fact, even unintentionally focusing on something less important, the results can be catastrophic.
The deeply unfortunate frequency of medical malpractice cases
Each and every year there are about 225,000 people who die as a result of medical malpractice, according to findings reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA. JAMA has also reported that negligence that could rightly end in a medical malpractice case is one of the leading causes of death across the United States. In fact it is third, following only cancer and heart disease.
Medical malpractice cases are those that bring to light and address the wrongdoing in an injury or death of a patient that resulted directly from a medical professional’s actions, specifically if he or she deviated from professional standards. Medical malpractice lawyers must be able to show proof of that deviation and how it affected the injured or deceased patient.
Tragedies in the medical world
It is not easy to be a doctor, especially one who constantly deals with people who are in life threatening situations or dealing with terminal illnesses or conditions. Most doctors work incredibly long hours with not enough time to rest or recover. The demand for better health care systems, more hospitals, and more health care providers and practitioners is not an easy one to keep up with. That type of pressure is not one that can be handled by just anyone. And that is why if a doctor makes the commitment to bettering the health and lives of every person he or she encounters, then he or she must be willing to put everything that they have into providing that care.
Yes, there are logical reasons why negligence might have been at play. But it is a health professional’s responsibility to prepare for and avoid those reasons. About half of all birth injuries could be avoided by identifying risks and planning around those factors. Some of the most serious and heart wrenching tragedies come as a result of medical error, when a patient comes to a professional trusting to be taken care of and is met with the opposite result.
Moving on from malpractice
Over the course of one year, there was about $3.6 billion that was paid out for medical malpractice lawsuits. And these cases could come in just about any form, as varied as are the needs for medical care and attention. Some lawsuits are the result of any number of surgical errors that could occur during a procedure. Other issues stem from incorrect usage of anesthesia. There could be evidence of negligence in prescribed or administered medication, whether it is in the form of an incorrect dosage or the wrong drug altogether. Some lawsuits tackle issues surrounding the diagnosis a doctor does or does not give. It could be an incorrect diagnosis or something that was missed.
The fact of the matter is that people go to doctor’s offices and hospitals in order to find help. The human body and all of the things that can happen to it are complex and not everyone can understand the complexities and intricacies of what they need to feel better. Sometimes it comes down to the advancements of science, medicine and technology giving us the tools and knowledge that our ancestors and even our recent past generations did not have. But when we go to the doctor, we expect to be fixed, or at least helped in ways we couldn’t be able to do on our own. And if the opposite outcome is reached, it negatively and severely impacts everyone involved.