Medical errors the nation’s third-most common cause of death

When you have an ache or a pain, you probably book an appointment with a Connecticut physician while feeling confident he or she will tell you what is ailing you and what you can do to fix it. Regrettably, however, doctors are only human, and they, like everyone, are prone to making mistakes. At Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C., we recognize that the stakes are high when doctors make errors, and we have helped many clients who suffered injury or illness due to a physician’s negligence seek appropriate recourse.

According to CNBC, medical errors are so commonplace nowadays that they are the third-most-common cause of death among Americans. Trailing only behind cancer and heart disease, medical errors kill somewhere between 250,000 and 440,000 people in the United States each year, although some believe the real figure might be far higher than this.

So, what types of medical errors are harming Americans? Unfortunately, there are numerous kinds of medical errors affecting American patients, some of which involve medication. Medication dosing errors are one type, and these can occur when undertrained or negligent medical professionals administer too much or not enough of a particular medication. Medication mix-ups, too, are often a problem, with health professionals administering one patient someone else’s medication or dosage amount.

Other medical errors can involve surgical complications, such as physicians leaving sponges or other equipment behind in patient bodies after surgery. Medical misdiagnosis, too, is a common problem, as are delayed diagnoses, which can have a sizable impact on a patient’s prognosis. You can learn more about medical errors on our webpage.