Personal Injury Law

US Medical Malpractice Costs Averaging About $55.6 Billion Yearly

According to a recent Harvard School of Public Health study, medical malpractice in this country is costing about $55.6 billion annually?less than 3% of the total amount that goes to US healthcare expenses each year. $45.6 billion of this is spent by doctors on defensive medicine in an attempt to avoid possible medical malpractice lawsuits.

The study?s researchers, from Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, analyzed several areas of the medical liability system. Defensive medicine expenses, payment to malpractice plaintiffs, attorney fees, costs from lost clinician work time, and other administrative expenses were among the factors that they assessed. Among the findings is that defensive medicine can cause patient injuries that would have otherwise been avoided and does not necessarily prevent medical mistakes.

You can find out more about the study in this month?s issue of Health Affairs, which takes a look at medical malpractice and offers suggestions for controlling expenses and enhancing patient safety.

Chicago Medical Malpractice
Rather than trying to avoid becoming the defendant of a Chicago medical malpractice lawsuit, it is the medical provider?s job to provide each patient with the proper medical care. Medical mistakes are not errors that a doctor, nurse, surgeon, anesthesiologist, or any other type of medical professional can afford to make. The injuries and health complications that can result from Cook County medical malpractice can prove fatal.

The Institute of Medicine reports that about 98,000 people are killed in US hospitals annually as a result of medical mistakes. Granted, in most cases, the medical professional never intended to harm the patient, but that does not mean that the healthcare provider should not be held liable.

Cost of Medical Malpractice Tops $55 Billion a Year in U.S., Bloomberg Businessweek, September 7, 2010

Health Affairs

Related Web Resources:
Institute of Medicine

Medical Malpractice, Nolo

Chicago Medical Malpractice: American Medical Association Reports that for Every 100 US Doctors, 95 Medical Liability Claims Filed, Chicagoinjuryattorneyblog.com, August 6, 2010

Illinois Supreme Court Says Medical Malpractice Caps are Unconstitutional, Chicagoinjuryattorneyblog.com, February 6, 2010

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on September 10, 2010 (boomark / email).