Hundreds of thousands of errors occur each year in medicine. Yet many of these errors are preventable. In fact, the National Quality Forum has found that certain errors should always be preventable. These errors are called “never events” because they are so egregious. Such events simply should never happen in a medical setting.
If you or a loved one has been harmed due to a surgical error or other “never event,” call the medical malpractice attorneys at Hall Ansley to set up a free consultation: 417-429-1372. You can also complete our online contact form. We have offices in Springfield and represent individuals and families throughout Missouri.
‘Never Event’ Statistics
Each year in the United States, more than two million healthcare-acquired conditions are responsible for 90,000 deaths and $5.7 billion in added healthcare costs. Costs associated with other medical harm – including healthcare expenses, lost work productivity, lost income, and disability – have been estimated to be as high as $29 billion per year. These statistics illustrate an urgent need to improve patient safety. The following incidents are just some of the healthcare events that should NEVER happen:
- Invasive procedure/surgery performed on the wrong patient or site
- Unintended retention of a foreign object in a patient after an invasive procedure/surgery
- Patient death or serious injury associated with the use of contaminated drugs, devices or remedies provided within the healthcare setting
- Patient death or serious injury associated with patient elopement/disappearance
- Patient death or serious injury associated with a medication error
- Patient death or serious injury associated with unsafe administration of blood products
- Patient death or serious injury associated with a fall while being cared for in a healthcare setting
- Any Stage 3, Stage 4, and unstageable pressure ulcers acquired after admission/presentation to a healthcare setting
- Artificial insemination with the wrong donor sperm or wrong egg
- Patient death or serious injury resulting from the irretrievable loss of an irreplaceable biological specimen
- Patient death or serious injury resulting from failure to follow up or communicate laboratory, pathology, or radiology test results
- Patient or staff death or serious injury associated with a burn incurred from any source in the patient care process within a healthcare setting
These Events Often Go Unreported
Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have enacted reporting systems to help healthcare providers identify and learn from serious reportable events. Unfortunately, Missouri does not require healthcare providers to self-report “never events.”
Much of the policing of bad healthcare is done by patients willing to advocate for themselves and others. At Hall Ansley, we have been policing bad healthcare in Missouri since 1984. We have assisted patients in getting their lives back by going to court and seeking damages for medical bills, wage loss, future needs, and pain and suffering.
Talk To Our Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one has been a victim of negligent medical care or a “never event,” please contact us at 417-429-1372. At Hall Ansley, we have seen far too many Missourians suffer as a result of “never events,” and while we can never fully restore what was lost, our medical malpractice case results demonstrate our firm’s past success in getting the justice that patients deserve.