Medical Malpractice& Surgical Errors

Each year, Seattle-area hospital patients suffer from medical mistakes which result in serious injuries. Nationally, a Harvard Medical Practice Study estimates that, each year, more than 180,000 people die because of medical mistakes. Public Citizen, non-profit organization which advocates the rights of consumers, estimates that, each year, 1.3 million injuries are caused by negligence, and that more than two-thirds of these injuries are preventable.

Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which care provided deviates from accepted standards of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient.  It is the failure of a medical professional (doctor, a nurse, a medical technician) or a medical facility to provide a minimum standard of care in the areas in which the medical professional or medical facility specializes. A medical facility may be a hospital (such as Swedish Medical Center, Group Health Co-operative, Virginia Mason Hospital, Harbor View Medical Center, Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center), birthing center (such as Puget Sound Birthing Center, Community Birthing Center), nursing home, or clinic. If the medical attention fails to meet the standard of good medical practice and harm results to a patient, the medical professional or medical facility may be liable for any resulting damages.

Common Medical Mistakes and Surgical Errors

• Leaving surgical sponges, instruments or other objects in patient
• Operating on the wrong body part or on the wrong side of the body
• Medication errors, including anesthesia errors
• Post-surgical infections, including the failure to diagnose or properly treat infections at the incision site, sepsis, or other infections

Medical Malpractice Statistics

A study released in October 2005 by Aon and American Society of Healthcare Risk Management reported on the frequency and severity of medical malpractice claims. Key findings of the study included:

• Overall the frequency of claims against healthcare facilities is decreasing. In 2004, there were 3 claims for each 100 acute care bed equivalents, down from 3.3 percent in 1999. The analysts hypothesize that self-insured healthcare systems have a greater financial incentive to reduce the cost of risk, make investments to improve the quality of care, and reduce medical errors. Consumer attitudes may also be changing as result of the enormous media attention given to the physician insurance crisis and how it relates to availability of healthcare at the local level.
• The frequency of claims against physicians was also declining, based on data from the National Practitioner Data Bank. The frequency of claims against physicians had dropped from 9.3 percent in 1999 to 8.1 percent in 2004.
• The severity of institutional claims continues to grow from a low of 102,000 to $172,000 in 2004. (This data excludes settlements or awards yielding more than $2 million.
• Using ten years of data, public hospitals were found to have the highest percentage of claims of more than $1 million, with 39 percent of the exposure and 43.4 percent of the total number of large loss counts. Specialty hospitals had the least number of large loss claims.

FREE Medical Malpractice Legal Case Review


Contact us now for a FREE legal consultation regarding your medical malpractice case.  We have offices in Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island and Renton to serve accident victims all over Washington State. 

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Recognized For Medical Malpractice Experience And Innovation In Washington State

Seattle attorney Chris Davis has been recognized by his peers as a very experienced and successful personal injury and accident attorney.  He has been named a "Rising Star Attorney" and a "Super Lawyer" by other experienced lawyers in the field of personal injury law and medical malpractice.  Mr. Davis has successfully recovered dozens of medical malpractice settlements and jury verdicts at great odds and by sheer perseverance and work ethic.

Blog for Medical Malpractice, Surgery Errors & Hospital Injuries

• Grieving Mother Sues Seattle Children's Hospital for the Wrongful Death of her Son
• New Report on Contingent Fees In Medical Malpractice Litigation - Seattle Attorney
• Medical Malpractice: Leaving Surgical Sponge or Other Foreign Objects In Patients
• Local Doctors Admit To Illegally Obtaining Painkillers - Is Drug Abuse Linked To Some Medical Mistakes?
• Addicted doctors still treat patients
• Medical Mistakes What Ever Happended To "Do No Harm"?
• Medical Mistakes And Children
• Hospital association changes position on reporting medical errors

Library for Medical Malpractice, Surgery Errors & Hospital Injuries:

• Report on Contingent Fees In Medical Malpractice Litigation   
  Description: Medical professionals and allied organizations have focused on attorney contingent fees as a way to address medical liability issues. These efforts focus on attorneys fees in successful medical malpractice claims and actions. The medical establishment has been using courtrooms. legislative bodies, and the media to spread the belief that is excessive medical malpractice litigation which is driving up medical costs. In fact, medical malpractice litigation is relatively uncommon. Only about one of fifty valid medical malpractice events in the US is every the subject of a an injury claim.
• More states shred bills for awful medical errors: Patients in 23 states will no longer pay for certain mistakes, hospitals say   
  Description: Hospitals in nearly half the states in the nation now say they won’t bill patients for the worst kind of medical mistakes, including operating on the wrong body part or the wrong person, or giving someone the wrong blood.
• Dangerous bug spreads fast at local hospitals   
  Description: A dangerous intestinal bug that is on the upswing across the country has also become more prevalent in Washington. The bacterium, which most frequently strikes people in hospitals and nursing homes, contributed to 4,100 hospitalizations in the state in 2006, more than twice the number in 2000. That mirrors a nationwide trend, which saw infection rates double at the same time a deadlier strain of the germ emerged.
• Medical Mistakes: What ever happened to "do no harm"?   
  Description: Every doctor makes the promise to “do no harm.” But doctors, nurses, physicians’ assistants, nursing homes, and hospitals do make mistakes. And a shocking report from the Institute of Medicine shows medical mistakes are a common occurrence and pose potentially life-threatening risks for patients. If medical mistakes were counted among the leading causes of death in America, they would be eighth on the list.
• Patients score Washington state's hospitals   
  Description: The ratings were based on surveys of patients admitted to hospitals between October 2006 and June 2007. The results, which come from new, uniform questionnaires required by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, have been publicly available since March 28. The Washington State Hospital Association repackaged the data to make them easier to use.
• ARTICLE: Physicians Want to Learn from Medical Mistakes   
  Description: The perception that U.S. doctors are unwilling to report medical errors and learn how to prevent them is untrue, according to a new study funded by HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
• ARTICLE: Medicare, Medicaid not paying for medical mistakes   
  Description: As of October 2008, Medicare and Medicaid will no longer pay for medical mistakes and conditions patients acquire in hospitals, like infections.
• ARTICLE: Preventing Medical Mistakes   
  Description: The Institute of Medicine estimates that 98,000 U.S. patients die each year in health care settings due to medical mistakes; others estimate the numbers may be as high as 145,000.
• State tallies incidents disclosed by hospitals   
  Description: The report looks only at the very worst medical errors, in which clear-cut mistakes caused serious injury or death to hospital patients.
• Study Finds Doctors Not Reporting Medical Mistakes   
  Description: Almost two-thirds of doctors say they are willing to report medical errors, but many of them just don't do it, a new study finds.

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Frequent Questions for Medical Malpractice, Surgery Errors & Hospital Injuries:

• What is medical malpractice?
• What are some examples of medical malpractice?
• How common is medical malpractice?
• Who can file a medical malpractice claim?
• Who can be sued for medical malpractice?
• What do I have to prove in my medical malpractice case?
• What damages can I recover through a medical malpractice lawsuit?
• What should I do if I feel I might have a medical malpractice case?

Case Results for Medical Malpractice, Surgery Errors & Hospital Injuries:

• $700,000 Settlement for Infant Burned by Hospital

Awarded: $700,000 Settlement

• $125,000 Settlement for Hospital Fall

Awarded: $125,000 Settlement

• $100,000 for Fall at Hospital

Awarded: $100,000 Settlement

Videos about Medical Malpractice, Surgery Errors & Hospital Injuries:

• Seattle Children's Admits To Medical Malpractice

Web Resources for Medical Malpractice, Surgery Errors & Hospital Injuries:

• Washington State Hospital Association
• Overlake Hospital Medical Center
• Providence St Peter's Hospital
• Allenmore Hospital & Medical Center
• Good Samaritan Hospital
• Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Medical Center
• Tacoma General Hospital
• Northwest Hospital & Medical Center
• Harborview Medical Center
• Swedish Hospital Medical Center

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