On behalf of Hastings Law Firm posted in Doctor Errors on Friday, February 7, 2014.

When entering a hospital, patients usually expect doctors and physicians to pay attention to important details pertaining to their health and treatment. And yet, recent statistics demonstrate that this is not the case. Texas patients are still being injured due to serious errors on a regular basis. In fact, the third most common cause of death in the United States is due to doctor errors.

Perhaps one of the most tragic aspects of injury and death related to medical errors is the fact that, quite often, the resulting injuries were preventable. These mostly preventable injuries aren’t cheap either — they amount to an estimated $1 trillion dollars every year. The cost doesn’t just lie in the money, either. Patients are being injured and even dying by the thousands every year.

In an effort to stay out of court, some hospitals attempt to circumvent a lawsuit by getting a head start on the victim or family member of someone who died due to a medical error. By approaching the victim with a quick settlement offer and an apology, hospitals and doctors hope to avoid lengthy litigation. However, while some may see a quick settlement as an easier route, this is not always the case. For instance, parents of a baby who suffered a birth injury may not be aware of the actual cost of raising their special needs child, and the settlement offered may be much lower than what is needed.

It is sometimes difficult to understand that those entrusted with the health and well-being of a patient could act negligently. Yet this is the sad truth for those in Texas and all across America. Doctor errors can result in serious and catastrophic injuries, whether through a misdiagnosis or surgery error, and the aftermath can change life for the worse. For those injured due to a doctor’s or hospital’s error, a carefully filed medical malpractice suit can be an excellent first step to recovery by providing financial compensation to combat injury-related medical bills. It may also bring closure to a victim struggling to deal with the emotional aftermath that can accompany serious medical errors.

Source: The Huffington Post, Patient Safety Takes a Back Seat, Once Again, Joanne Doroshow, Jan. 20, 2014