Ann Arbor Medical Malpractice Blog

It is estimated that 98,000 deaths a year can be attributed to preventable medical errors. This number is equal to one jumbo jet a day crashing and killing each and every passenger aboard.

Often times, when a medical error occurs, many doctors restrict their communication with the patient for fear of admitting fault. Consequently, the only way the victim can get answers is to go to court. These instant adversarial positions can make resolution difficult. However, a policy instituted by the University of Michigan (U-M) may have a better way to tackle these situations.

New Approach

In a report by The New York Times, Richard C. Boothman, chief risk officer for the University of Michigan Health System, stated that by doctors and hospitals refusing to talk, "we have given the patient no alternative but to sue." In response, U-M Health System's new policy is what they call the "humanistic approach."

A recent study indicates that hospitals that train doctors have a higher rate of death after emergency surgeries than other hospitals. The finding is quite concerning given that teaching hospitals account for more than a fifth of the country's hospitals. There are more than 1,000 teaching hospitals throughout the U.S., including Michigan.

According to research published in the Annals of Surgery, the chance of dying after an emergency surgery was 20 percent higher at a teaching hospital as compared to their non-teaching counterpart.

Many people claim to have a natural aversion to hospitals, doctors and, of course, needles. A new statistic may lend credibility to the notion that the common fear of hospitals may be rooted - at least partially - in a human defense mechanism. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Envory for Patient Safety, Sir Liam Donaldson, recently stated that staying in a hospital is far more dangerous than flying in an airplane.

Donaldson pegged the risk of dying in an aircraft crash at 1 in 10 million. Shockingly, your chances of dying from a hospital error are much greater at 1 in 300. While that number is worldwide - Michigan hospitals are presumably less risky than the worldwide average - the number is still an alarming wake-up call for many patients.

Medical errors in hospitals have captured much of Michigan's attention in the realm of medical malpractice. However, Americans receive most of their healthcare needs in the outpatient setting - whether at the doctor's office or through in-home treatment. In fact, about 43 percent of all medical malpractice claim payouts stem through outpatient medical errors, according to a recent American Medical Association study.

Logic suggests that claims of outpatient medical malpractice will continue to rise, as rising healthcare costs cause more patients to receive their medical care outside of hospitals, to avoid bills that include not only a physician's office, but also costs from the hosting hospital. However, the focus on medical error prevention remains on the inpatient setting.

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The Town of Frankenmuth lost a beloved son when Daniel Weber died from injuries sustained in a recent motorcycle crash. The former Army man, 25, was a decorated soldier, who had previously been awarded a Purple Heart for enduring serious injuries while fighting for his country. Weber's fatal accident occurred in El Paso, Texas, but his Michigan hometown held a procession in his honor.

Weber's crash is emblematic of the danger that Michigan bikers face. This tough military vet could survive intense military conflict, but lost his life on a U.S. roadway. While his bike was the only vehicle involved in the crash, most motorcycle accidents are due to another motorist's failure to "see" the biker. Weber should be honored for his military service, but his tragic death should also serve motorcycle awareness and safety campaigns.

"I ran about six stop signs," explained a Michigan high school student. Thankfully, these stop signs were on a closed course where Holland Police were teaching driver's education students about the dangers of distracted driving. Students were presented with a variety of distractions as they tried to navigate a course and most teens ran down the cones as if they were going bowling.

With April's backdrop as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Holland Police used these exercises to show young motorists the dangers of inattentive driving. The police officers told NewsChannel3 that the 16-20 year-old age group is the segment most involved in fatal car accidents. While inexperience and drunk driving contribute to that dubious distinction, it is apparent that text-crazy teens cause many crashes through distraction. While teen-centered initiatives are great to educate young drivers, Michigan's most recent crash fatality reports shows alarming data for the state as a whole.

Just weeks ago, a woman driving north of Ann Arbor on U.S. Highway 23 toward her hometown of Fenton got a valuable lesson in the dangers of drowsy driving. The woman apparently dozed off at the wheel and her car drifted into the center median, where it flipped over. Remarkably, the woman had only minor injuries, and was not taken to a hospital.

The woman's incredibly good fortune in this crash is even more remarkable in light of recent statistics, which show that drowsy driving is responsible for one in six of all fatal car accidents in the U.S. The study, conducted by the AAA Foundation, analyzed crash data from all 50 states and also surveyed drivers.