As a patient who has suffered an injury as a result of your medical provider’s errors, you may want to look into making a claim. Medical malpractice claims aren’t always simple. They can be difficult to win.
A recent study from JAMA Internal Medicine has shown that, as of 2020, medical malpractice awards are decreasing in number. While that might sound like good news to patients, the truth is that the declining number of awards doesn’t necessarily mean that fewer mistakes are happening. In fact, despite a lower number of awards, the payouts have increased.
The study showed that there was a 55.7% drop in successful medical malpractice claims over the last two decades. That decrease isn’t the same thing as having fewer claims, though. What it may mean is that patients are having a harder time moving forward with their claims and winning their cases. It may mean that those who do end up with awards are among the most seriously injured or those who have dealt with the most egregious medical mistakes.
Did you know that many medical negligence cases don’t end up resulting in a financial award?
The reason for this is that patients or their families have to prove that substantial injuries were recorded. They also have to show that those injuries were a direct result of a provider’s actions and weren’t natural as a result of unexpected complications or the patient’s own poor health.
Though cases may be more difficult to win than some others, with good documentation and support, it’s possible. Your attorney will work closely with you to find a way to make the medical provider pay for their errors.