Medical Malpractice, Prevalence and Cover-ups
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Hidden Harm:
The Devastating Impact of Medical Malpractice Cover-Ups Most assume medical errors are promptly addressed and lessons learned. However, the reality is far bleaker. A staggering number of medical errors go unreported and even worse, actively concealed. This culture of secrecy (referred to as the white coat of secrecy)., often fueled by financial settlements behind closed doors, shields the true extent of the problem and leaves patients with potentially devastating consequences, including permanent disabilities, or even death.
One such example "behind closed doors" cover-up, that lets money hide the culprit is bragged about on a NY attorney's website where the lawyer represented a child who suffered profoundly disabling injuries due to medical malpractice (like Zander). That lawyer was able to obtain a confidential settlement of $6.9M. They say "Sorry we can’t say more but the confidential nature of this settlement limits us to merely saying the settlement amount".
One is too many: As with any profession, most doctors are honest, caring, and dedicated to your well-being. If they make a mistake they fix it, as it should be. The bad ones however are far too many and ruin it for the rest. These honest doctors must do their share to weed out these culprits.
A few related studies:
Delayed Diagnosis: A 2010 study published in BMJ Quality & Safety found that delayed or missed diagnoses due to cover-ups can lead to worse patient outcomes, including increased mortality rates.
Exacerbated Conditions: A 2013 article in the Journal of Patient Safety reported on a case where a surgeon's failure to disclose a perforated bowel during surgery resulted in a life-threatening infection for the patient.
Wrongful Death: In a highly publicized 2018 case, a Utah woman died after a surgeon accidentally nicked a major artery during laparoscopic surgery. The surgeon's attempt to conceal the error delayed proper treatment, leading to the patient's death. The family successfully sued for medical malpractice, with the cover-up a key factor in the case.
Just how bad is the cover-up my risk of becoming a victim of medical malpractice that gets covered up?
Medical Malpractice Prevalence
1. According to a 2020 study published in the Journal of Patient Safety, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in approximately 400,000 deaths per year. (1)
2. A 2019 report by the National Institute of Medicine (NAM) found that medical errors occur in approximately 10% to 15% of hospitalizations, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. (2)
3. A 2016 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that medical errors are responsible for at least 250,000 deaths annually in the United States. (3)
Cover-ups and Hiding Malpractice
4. A 2019 investigation by ProPublica found that many hospitals and healthcare systems have implemented policies to conceal medical errors and malpractice from patients and the public. (4)
5. A 2017 study published in the Journal of HealthCare Law & Policy found that approximately 40% of doctors who admitted to committing medical errors said they had concealed them from patients or colleagues. (5)
6. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Health and Human Services has reported numerous instances of healthcare providers hiding or destroying medical records to conceal malpractice. (6)
Criminal Charges and Legal Actions
7. In 2019, a Texas doctor was sentenced to 40 years in prison for performing unnecessary surgeries and billing Medicare for them. (7)
8. In 2018, a New York doctor was charged with murder for killing five patients through gross negligence during spinal surgeries. (8)
9. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Medical Ethics found that up to 80% of physicians who commit medical malpractice may face no criminal charges or penalties. (9)
Doctors and hospitals spend millions of dollars keeping their dirty little secrets out of the press. You will find very few news articles about the trageties and even death caused by doctors and hospitals that make blunders, experiment on people and do foul things to people just to make a buck.
Past News Articles
10. "Doctor's Negligence Led to Patient's Death, Jury Finds" (April 24, 2018) - This article reports on a jury verdict finding a doctor liable for the death of a patient due to his negligence.
11. "A Doctor's Reckoning: How One Hospital's Failure to Disclose Errors Led to a Patient's Death" (September 11, 2019) - This article explores the story of a hospital that failed to disclose medical errors to patients, leading to one patient's death.