When a patient is treated by a doctor or in a hospital, they’re hoping they’ll leave in better condition than when they arrived. Unfortunately, up to 98,000 people die and at least 300,000 are injured from medical malpractice each year. It’s alarming how many people are severely injured or die due to medical malpractice.
UCLA law professor Joanna Schwartz surveyed hospital risk managers and found that 73% of surveyed respondents reported that medical malpractice lawsuits or claims were useful in identifying and then addressing safety issues in healthcare facilities. Scharwtz’s study found that the threat of financial loss due to these lawsuits, has sparked a stronger interest in creating an environment that’s constantly improving patient safety. It was also found that sometimes facilities get comfortable in accepting a certain level of mistakes and fortunately, medical malpractice lawsuits keep them aware that negligence is never acceptable.
Medical malpractice lawsuits force the wrongdoers to take responsibility for their negligent actions and allows the injured to hold them accountable. These important lawsuits not only help the victims, they help prevent future victims. It reminds healthcare providers and the facilities that patient safety should be number one.
If you or someone you know is a victim of medical please call 301-251-1286 or contact experienced medical malpractice attorney Stuart Plotnick. We represent clients in Rockville, Bethesda and throughout the state of Maryland.