Most people in Oregon would agree that everyone makes mistakes. Unfortunately, when a medical professional or a hospital makes that mistake, it can mean the death or serious injury of another person. The fact is that far too many people die each year from hospital negligence.
One study estimates that approximately 400,000 people are killed by preventable errors in a medical setting every year. The numbers of people who are injured is 10 to 20 times that amount. When a mistake does happen, victims and/or their families are often left with unanswered questions regarding what went wrong.
The injuries are not only physical, but mental as well. You are supposed to be able to trust your doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. You expect that hospitals have your best interests in mind and want to ensure that you receive the best care possible. When that trust is misplaced, it can be difficult to trust again.
This is especially problematic if you required a surgical procedure or some other treatment in order to correct the mistake that was made. The question then becomes whether you can be sure that this new set of medical practitioners will not make another mistake. Sadly, you often do not have a choice since without further medical intervention, the situation could become worse or even deadly.
While your medical issues are being corrected, if that is even possible, you are undoubtedly incurring a significant amount of medical costs even if you have insurance. Furthermore, you could be out of work and sustaining additional damages. If you lost a loved one to hospital negligence, you may also facing unexpected burial and funeral expenses. When medical errors occur, it is a good idea to contact an Oregon medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible in order to determine whether you are entitled to restitution that could help defray the financial losses you are now incurring and could continue to incur in the future.