A 2023 analysis by Johns Hopkins estimates that 795,000 Americans suffer serious harm from
diagnostic errors every year, including 371,000 deaths and 424,000 cases of permanent
disability. Three categories—vascular events, infections and cancers—account for 75 % of
these harms. These staggering numbers suggest that medical errors remain a leading cause of
death and disability, although they are not consistently tracked on death certificates.
Patients can reduce risk by seeking second opinions, maintaining thorough health records and
advocating for themselves during appointments. If a diagnostic error results in harm, legal
claims may help families recover medical costs and encourage improvements in health‑care
safety protocols.
Johns Hopkins University's Michael Daniel and Dr. Martin Makary were responsible for the analysis in question, which was published in the British Medical Journal. The two experts calculated the total number of deaths that occurred because of medical errors in recent years and determined that the approximate yearly death toll was between 200,000 and 400,000. If these numbers are correct and medical error was considered a disease, it would be the third deadliest disease in this country, falling under cancer and heart disease but above chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The term "medical error" takes in a number of different mistakes made by medical professionals, ranging from inaccurate diagnoses to surgical mistakes. Some of the most common medical errors that may lead to complications or death include:
Unfortunately, many of these errors don't make it onto the death certificate, which has made the total more difficult to estimate. Nonetheless, health policy experts have been trying to draw attention to this problem for at least a decade. The goal of this movement is not to blame the medical professionals, but to help them understand the problem and exercise more caution in the future.
As a patient, you trust your doctors and nurses to have the answers you need. However, because these professionals are human, mistakes will always be a part of medical care. To protect yourself and reduce the chances of becoming a victim of medical error:
Even when you make all the right choices, you or a loved one may still become a victim of medical error. If you believe that you or someone you know has experienced medical complications as a result of an error made by a doctor, nurse or other professional, seeking legal counsel is highly recommended. To learn more about your options or to find out whether you have a case, please call J. Antonio Tramontana today.
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