Preventable medical injuries kill an estimated 200,000 Americans every year. These people are dying from mistakes that are well known to the medical community and the government. In fact, a now decade old federal report called “To Err is Human” highlighted the medical mistakes that most often needlessly kill Americans. The report called the death toll “shocking” and suggested that the medical community could decrease it by 50% within 5 years. Now, ten years later it appears that not only has the medical community failed to meet that challenge but that the death toll is actually increasing.
A Heart newspapers investigation recently revealed that the federal government and most state governments have “overwhelmingly failed” to implement the suggestions contained in the federal report.
Why Has the Medical Community Failed?
There are a few reasons why the promise of fewer medical errors has not been fulfilled. First, there is no nationwide system for reporting errors. The accountability system which could protect patients from future mistakes is missing in this country. In fact, many medical organizations lobby against mandatory reporting and government systems of accountability. Furthermore, many doctors are not forthcoming about their mistakes and instead hope that their errors are never uncovered. Thus, no one learns from the mistakes that were made and systems that could prevent such mistakes are not developed.
If you or a loved one has suffered because of medical malpractice then you can make a difference in our broken system. You can hold medical professionals and medical facilities responsible for their mistakes by contacting an Illinois medical malpractice attorney and filing a lawsuit. Your medical malpractice action may not only provide you with damages but also deter other doctors from making similar mistakes in the future.