Massachusetts medical malpractice causes harm and even death to many innocent Massachusetts residents each year. Also, on a national level, medical malpractice occurs with alarming frequency. Here is some information I found at personalinjuryfyi.com regarding the prevalence of medical malpractice across the country each year:

“Medical malpractice is now considered between the fifth and eighth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Researchers report that roughly 5 to 10 percent of all patients admitted to hospitals this year will fall victim to medical negligence, whether in the form of a surgical mistake, wrong prescription, birth injury, or other type of error. Based on these hospitals’ track records, this sounds about right: annually, up to 98,00 0 people die from preventable medical errors, 2 million patients contract infections in hospitals, and approximately 90,000 die from infections caused by inadequate sanitation methods (such as infrequent hand washing).”

The site also goes on to list some common medical malpractice scenarios:

• Pediatric malpractice
• Radiation malpractice
• Breast cancer malpractice
• Plastic surgery malpractice
• Dental malpractice
• Cancer misdiagnosis
• Amputation of the wrong limb
• Prescription errors
• Emergency room negligence
• Anesthesia accidents
• Uterine rupture
• Birth complications
• C-section complications
• Misread X-rays/mammograms
• Faulty blood transfusions
• Hospital/ Medical Negligence
• Failure to provide appropriate treatment
• Treatment delays