Surgical Errors Cost Billions of Dollars Every Year
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When you prepare to go in for surgery, the last thing you are probably thinking about is the risk of a surgical error. However, mistakes are sometimes made during surgery, such as wrong site surgery, objects left during the procedure and other types of surgical errors. These medical mistakes cost close to $1.5 billion annually in the United States.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), it is estimated that preventable medical errors that happen during or after surgery may cost employers as much as $1.5 billion a year. A study was conducted that discovered that insurance companies paid an additional 52 percent more and an additional 48 percent more for patients who suffered acute respiratory failure or infections after the procedure, compared with patients who did not experience either complication.
Researchers reviewed a nationwide sample of more than 161,000 patients, ages 16 to 64, in employer based health plans who had surgery some time between 2001 and 2002. The study found that insurers were paying more for patients who suffered from the following medical errors:
- Pressure ulcers and hip fractures from medical mistakes by nursing care.
- Medical errors that resulted in kidney failure or blood sugar problems.
- Blood clots, vascular problems and other pulmonary complications associated with medical mistakes.
- Medical errors that caused wound opening.
Even more alarming than the amount of money spent on doctor errors is the amount of deaths that could have been prevented. Researchers found that 1 out of every 10 patients who died within 90 days of surgery did so because of a preventable medical error. It was also discovered that one third of the deaths happened after the initial hospital discharge.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a Kentucky medical malpractice, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Contact a Louisville medical malpractice attorney today at HJV Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyers at (502) 540-5700 for a free legal consultation. We handle malpractice cases in Kentucky.
Contact the Louisville Medical Malpractice Law Firm of HJV Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, don’t hesitate to contact HJV Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Louisville today. We have two convenient locations in Louisville and Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.
We proudly serve Jefferson County, Kenton County, and its surrounding areas:
HJV Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyers – Louisville, KY Office
600 W Main St Ste 200
Louisville, KY, 40202
(502) 540-5700
HJV Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyers – Fort Mitchell, KY Office
2380 Grandview Dr
Fort Mitchell, KY, 41017
(859) 578-4444