A 2015 survey conducted by Medscape reveals the most common causes of medical malpractice. Nearly four thousand primary care physicians and specialists participated in the survey. Survey participants were fairly evenly distributed among age groups, but there were a much larger number of male participants (70%) than female participants (30%). One of the things that this study revealed is the percentage of doctors who are sued for malpractice, which is just under sixty percent. The study also shows that over half of the time, it is not a single doctor who is named as a party in a medical malpractice suit, but rather a group of doctors and other parties.
The two most common reasons for medical malpractice lawsuits are equally common, with thirty one percent of lawsuits being related to failures to diagnose and thirty one percent of lawsuits being associated with abnormal injuries. Some of the specific types of claims that were made in those categories are failure to diagnose cardiac emergency and late or missed cancer diagnosis. Other common reasons for medical malpractice lawsuits include failure to treat, medication errors, poor documentation, lack of informed consent, and failure to follow safety procedures. Some of the specific types of cases that are included in the aforementioned categories are postoperative infections, birth defects, hospital room falls, and injury or death during surgery.
An interesting outcome of the Medscape study is that it sheds some light on how long medical malpractice cases typically take from start to finish. Just under twenty percent of the doctors involved in the study reported that their medical malpractice cases took less than a year. Over thirty percent of the cases were resolved in between one and two years’ time. Approximately the same amount of cases lasted for three to five years, and a few doctors reported that their medical malpractice cases lasted longer than five years.
One of the things that doctors talked about during their participation in the Medscape study is whether they planned to take any action to change the way that they practiced medicine in order to serve their patients better and avoid future medical malpractice lawsuits. Many of the doctors involved in the survey said that they planned to be more meticulous about documentation. Others plan to improve the ways in which they communicate with patients, including making more time to discuss patients’ questions and concerns.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Helping Mississippi Medical Malpractice Victims
If you were injured or someone that you love was killed as the result of medical malpractice, you are likely to have many questions. Medical malpractice cases can be complicated, but with the right help, you can pursue compensation against the individual or group of individuals who may be responsible for your injury or loss. The Mississippi Medical Malpractice Attorneys of the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. may be able to help you find the answers that you need. Please call our office today, at (601) 355-2022.