Medical Negligence is a Leading Cause of Death

I’m Katelyn Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss personal injury law topics.

According to various studies, medical negligence is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Multiple studies, including those published in 2016, 2022, and 2024, have determined that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the US, behind heart disease and cancer.

One study from 2022 notes that at least 250,000 Americans die each year due to medical errors.

These studies do not tabulate all of the people who are harmed as a consequence of medical mistakes but survive and do not die.

A medical error is a preventable adverse effect of medical care. Examples include botched surgeries, misdiagnoses, and prescription mistakes.

Why are medical errors occurring? What can be done to reduce the rate of medical errors?

Experts recommend redesigning medical systems and implementing legal reforms to reduce medical errors and fatalities.

Let’s focus on legal reforms.

• Filing a lawsuit following a serious medical error or omission serves several goals:
• Compensation for Victims: Damages can help cover medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and loss of income and may address pain and suffering.
• Accountability and Responsibility: Holding healthcare providers accountable for their actions may lead healthcare institutions to enforce stricter standards of care.
• Highlight Systemic Issues: Lawsuits can call attention to recurring healthcare problems, prompting reviews and changes in protocols and procedures.
• Public Awareness: Lawsuits can raise public awareness about specific issues within the healthcare industry, and the public may demand improvement.
• For patients, the implications of medical errors can be profound: disability or death, emotional distress, and crippling financial loss.

Patients trust the healthcare system, and when that trust is broken, they deserve the opportunity to seek compensation and systemic changes.

The legal system plays an integral role in addressing the consequences of medical mistakes.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you are a victim of someone’s carelessness, substandard medical care, product defect, work injury, or another personal injury, please call (219) 736-9700 with your questions. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at DavidHolubLaw.com – while there, make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth.”