Medical Malpractice Statistics

Medical Malpractice cases are much more common than the average American believes. The most common inpatient medical malpractice claim is for surgery errors (34% of all claims). The most common outpatient medical malpractice claim is for diagnostic errors (46% of all claims). Diagnostic errors are very costly. Over a 25 year period, diagnosis-related payouts were $38.8 billion which is a substantial amount for any type of medical malpractice.

Medical Malpractice Statistics that are not well known:

The average settlement for a medical claim is $485,000 and the average payout is $363,000 for inpatient claims and $290,000 for outpatient claims.

Nearly 93% of medical malpractice cases are settled out of court in pre-trial litigation.

Of the 7% of medical malpractice cases that end up in a trial, plaintiffs received payouts in 21% of verdicts.

60% of plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases are female.

The average age of a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case is 38 years old.

Settlement-based resolutions favored the plaintiff in 61% of cases.

While the success rate is low it is still in the best interest of an individual to seek out legal recourse if they have been injured at all.

Hospitals only report medical mistakes in 14% of cases according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Do you believe you have been the victim of medical malpractice? If so, consider reaching out to a qualified attorney. The Davis Kelin Law Firm is Albuquerque’s Premier Personal Injury Law Firm. We accept medical malpractice cases in New Mexico. Call (505) 242-7200. If you have been injured we will fight for you!