Oregon residents expect that their doctors, nurses and other medical professionals will treat them with the utmost care. Medical professionals are supposed to be highly trained to recognize and treat complicated medical procedures using the newest technology and research. It can be devastating when doctors fail to meet or exceed this expectation. A doctor error can often result in serious injuries and death.
While some doctor mistakes are unavoidable, many are the result of negligence. Fatal accidents are not uncommon when doctors are negligent. These accidents can leave the families of accident victims reeling. They have to deal with the unexpected loss of a loved one and the legal consequences that follow. In order to receive some justice, a medical malpractice or wrongful death suit may be necessary.
Many people may be under the impression that such suits are rare in Oregon. However, medical mistakes and medical malpractice claims do happen each year in Oregon. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 7,800 adverse action reports have been filed against Oregon medical professionals and facilities between 2003 and 2013. An AAR, according to the HHS, is a report used to submit actions taken against medical professionals.
In addition to the AARs that were submitted against Oregon doctors, more than 1,400 medical malpractice payments were reported in Oregon from 2003 to 2013. These payments ranged from a couple of thousand dollars to more than $2,000,000 during this time period. In particular, in 2013 there were 102 total medical malpractice payment reports made. Of these, three medical malpractice payments reports were for $2,000,000 or more.
The statistics listed by the HHS department cannot provide the whole picture about medical malpractice claims in Oregon and neither can this blog post. Therefore, those who have suffered because of a doctor error may need to obtain specific legal advice.