Medical Malpractice: Why Do Never Events Happen Every Day?

While it is likely that you have heard of medical malpractice, you may not have heard of the closely related concept called a never event.  As the name suggests, a never event is a medical or surgical mistake so careless (and, yes, stupid) that it should never occur.  Operating on the wrong body part, administering adult dosages of medication to infants or, perhaps the most widely known never event, leaving a foreign object inside of a surgical patient—these are just a few examples of never events.

Although hospitals and healthcare lobbyists have fought to conceal the frequency of never events from the public, one report indicates that more than 4,000 never events occur each year.  Even more alarming is the fact that the >4,000 estimate only includes surgical never events.  Add the significant number of medical never events to that and it is clear that patients are routinely suffering as a result of medical mistakes that should not occur under any circumstances.  It is no wonder why the hospitals do not want to make this data public.

As Ohio medical malpractice attorneys, we have previously addressed the misconceptions about medical malpractice lawsuits.  While the healthcare lobby would have you believe that medical malpractice lawsuits are to blame for high healthcare costs, this is victim-blaming at its worst.  Medical malpractice lawsuits are only necessary because of the rampant, unacceptable negligence of healthcare professionals. Rather than address the protocols that lead to these abhorrent mistakes, however, the healthcare industry, hospitals, and doctors refuse to take responsibility for their negligence.

The good news is that victims of medical malpractice and surgical malpractice may be able to make those negligent healthcare professionals take responsibility in court.  If you or a loved one has suffered injury or death due to a never event or any medical or surgical malpractice, contact the experienced surgical malpractice lawyers at Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA for a free consultation.