A Blog About Medical Malpractice In And Around Detroit

While there is a constant suggestion in the media that doctors are facing a barrage of medical malpractice lawsuits, often frivolous, the actual numbers paint a bit of a different picture.

At least in the state of Michigan, people do not get hefty payouts for medical malpractice claims, at least relative to other states. By dividing the total dollar value of claims paid by the number of Michigan residents, one study concluded that, per resident, around $5 got paid for medical malpractice claims between 2012 and 2016.

When patients in the Detroit area go to the emergency room, either on their own or via ambulance, it is because they need immediate and prompt medical care.

As a result, emergency rooms are often high-stress places, with doctors and other staff having to work quickly to treat patients, oftentimes saving their lives in the process. As with any other high-stress environment, mistakes are more likely to happen.

Like some other states, Michigan parents can opt to delivery their newborn children at home with the help of a midwife. Many do just that for a variety of reasons. In fact, reports suggest that, in 2017, 1,283 Michigan women decided to have their children at home by using a midwife.

Unfortunately, home births do not always go as expected. In such cases, midwives, like any other medical professional, either need to be able to resolve any unexpected issue that threatens the health of the patients or see to it that the mother and child get to a hospital as quickly as possible.

According to a couple of recent studies, one error that commonly leads to medical malpractice claims is misdiagnosis of a patient's condition. One of the studies, which focused on medical malpractice claims against physicians over several years, determined that just under half of the claims, 46 percent, had something to do with a doctor's misdiagnosis of a patient's condition. Moreover, these claims account for over two-thirds, or 68 percent, of all payments made to cover claims for compensation.

Unfortunately, many misdiagnoses apparently have disastrous results for both patients and their families. In 45 percent of claims for misdiagnosis, the mistake allegedly resulted in the patient's untimely death.