Author: Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP
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A report published by the American Association for Justice (AAJ) indicated that many patients subjected to medical malpractice are in “search for accountability.” The report went on to explain that patients are perplexed by not knowing what happened to them and litigation is a way to get answers. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey discovered 70 percent of patients experiencing medical errors received no explanation from their doctors. In addition, a national survey done by Columbia University’s Institute on Medicine as a Profession (IMAP) revealed that close to 50 percent of doctors nationwide failed to report medical errors or incompetence by their colleagues.
However, some hospitals now favor disclosing medical errors and taking a responsible approach to putting measures in place to reduce the occurrence of preventable medical errors.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) ran an article about parents who sued the Baptist Children’s Hospital in Miami for negligence. Their child suffered brain injury due to medical malpractice. However, after the parents and hospital settled for an undisclosed sum, hospital administrators analyzed the factors leading to the tragedy and used the parents as part of an educational program to emphasize patient safety to their medical staff. Now the mother serves as a community liaison on the hospital’s Baptist Health Board Committee on Quality and Patient Safety which is an effort to reduce medical negligence.
If you or a loved one is a victim of medical malpractice, find out how an experienced New York City medical malpractice lawyer can help. Sackstein, Sackstein and Lee, LLP has successfully sued hospitals and practitioners on behalf of clients and lawsuits often have the effect of making hospitals more responsible.