Medical malpractice cases arise after a doctor or other medical provider makes a negligent mistake that harms a patient. New research indicates that as many as 210,000 to 440,000 people die each year because of mistakes made in hospitals, which makes medical errors the third leading cause of death after cancer and heart disease.
Some of these mistakes are made at New Jersey medical facilities. The state has seen 25 hospitals close since 1992, leaving other facilities to pick up the slack on limited budgets. Hospitals, of course, aren’t the only providers responsible for medical malpractice.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by any type of negligent medical error in New Jersey, an experienced malpractice attorney at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., can help you understand your legal rights and pursue a claim for compensation. Contact us today for a free claim review and consultation.
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Medical Malpractice New Jersey: Facts & Figures
New Jersey was one of five states that accounted for 48 percent of all medical malpractice payments in 2012. The other states included New York, Florida, Pennsylvania and California.
The total payouts across the United States totaled $3.6 billion, with 45 percent of total payments going to inpatients and 41 percent to outpatients. A total of 12,142 medical malpractice payouts were made in the U.S. during 2012, which means one payment was made every 43 minutes on average.
Statistics show how big a problem medical malpractice is in New Jersey alone:
- New Jersey was one of two states with more than 1,000 medical malpractice claims in 2008. New York was the other. (Court Statistics)
- In New Jersey, there were 1,249 new medical malpractice cases in 2008. These cases reflected 2.3 percent of tort claims filed and 0.1 percent of all civil lawsuits filed in the state. (Court Statistics)
- There were 14.1 new malpractice cases in 2008 for every 100,000 people in New Jersey. (Court Statistics)
- From 1999 to 2009, the total number of medical malpractice cases in New Jersey fell 30 percent. (Court Statistics)
- In New Jersey, $206,668,250 was paid out in medical malpractice compensation in 2012. (Diederich Healthcare)
New Jersey medical malpractice payments compensate injured victims for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress and more. If the malpractice caused the death of a patient, wrongful death claims cover funeral expenses, the loss of wages the deceased would have earned in his or her lifetime, loss of companionship and medical costs incurred prior to death.
National Medical Malpractice Statistics
Medical malpractice is a nationwide problem, with patients often suffering serious harm or death as a result of medical errors.
- In 2005, there were a total of 2,449 total medical malpractice trials in the U.S. The median damages awarded to successful plaintiffs totaled $400,000. (Court Statistics)
- The median malpractice award for patients who suffered an amputation or paralysis was $2,269,034. For patients who developed neck and back injuries as a result of a medical mistake, the median payout was $1,295,708. Patients who suffered from medical mistakes related to cancer received $1,295,708. (Court Statistics)
- Death was the most common injury in malpractice cases, and a full 22 percent of malpractice trials were wrongful death claims. (Court Statistics)
- Failure-to-diagnose claims accounted for 33 percent of medical malpractice allegations and 20 percent of malpractice payouts in 2012. A total of $1,176,345,550 in payouts was made in failure-to-diagnose claims. (Diederich Healthcare)
Medical malpractice has very serious consequences for victims. For more than three decades, attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., have helped victims of medical errors get the compensation they deserve.
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If you think you might be the victim of medical malpractice, contact the Ginarte law firm today. Call 1-888-GINARTE (1-888-446-2783) now or use our online contact form. We will be happy to give you a comprehensive case review – absolutely free. We won’t charge you unless we recover compensation for you.