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Medication errors result in more than 7,000 deaths each year in hospitals alone, and tens of thousands more in outpatient facilities; fully half of adverse reactions to medicines are the result of medical errors.
Medical Malpractice - An Overview
When illness or injury forces you to see a physician or go to the hospital, you can generally be assured that the doctor's years of experience and training will result in excellent treatment of your ailment. But in truth, physicians are only human and as such, errors are always possible. Medical malpractice occurs when a negligent act or omission by a doctor or other medical professional results in damage or harm to a patient.
Negligence by a medical professional could include an error in a diagnosis, treatment, or illness management. If such negligence results in injury to a patient, a case could arise against the doctor if his or her actions deviated from generally accepted standards of practice; against the hospital for improper care, such as problems with medications, sanitation or nursing care; or against local, state or federal agencies that operate hospital facilities.
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