During the 2014 fiscal year, the number of medical malpractice claims in New York was 876 and in the fiscal year of 2015, that number went up to more than 900. In 2012, the total number of medical malpractice payouts in the United States was 12,142.
Many New York mothers-to-be may be planning to deliver via a cesarean section. A study showed that complications due to anesthesia given in C-sections fell by 25 percent between 2003 and 2012 in New York hospitals. However, non-anesthetic perioperative complications rose by about 50 percent.
New Yorkers who have recently spent time hospitalized may be dismayed to learn that studies have found 200,000 to 400,000 deaths happen annually as a result of preventable errors in hospitals around the country. In addition to the emotional costs to loved ones, medical mistakes are estimated to cost upwards of $15 billion annually in expenses such as patient care and prescription drug services.
New York patients may be interested in a study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, that looked into the rate of recurring malpractice claims against physicians. People implicitly and explicitly trust their doctors on a daily basis, but medical errors can and do sometimes happen. Knowing some of the statistics behind malpractice claims can help patients make a more informed decision about their own well-being.
If you have ever been involved in a medical malpractice case which hopefully you have not, then you know that you have had to deal with your healthcare provider’s insurer at some stage. On the other hand, if you happen to be a medical practitioner in New York, then you need to read on to know how proper insurance coverage can protect you against a possible malpractice lawsuit.
