When the negligent actions of a healthcare professional causes harm, injury or death, the patient may be entitled to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit. In 2012, more than $3 billion in medical malpractice payouts were made to victims. This averages to a payout every 43 minutes.
This alarming number leads to serious injuries for innocent victims. In fact, according to the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), medical negligence is the third leading cause of death in the United States. If medical malpractice is such a big problem, why don’t medical regulators take action?
The Story of One Doctor Who Got Sued Too Many Times
Dr. David Schwed, a surgeon in the Ithaca area, is one of the few doctors who has been sued for medical malpractice 12 times and has paid large payouts in a 20-year span. Dr. Schewd has a long history of medical malpractice lawsuits against him and his practice.
A Study of data by Public Citizen, a national consumer watchdog group, shows that only 1 percent of doctors make four or more malpractice payouts within a 15-year span. Schewd has made four payments in connection with civil litigation since 2009, two of which were for an above-average amount. He may be facing the possibility of a fifth payout. Only 0.5 percent of doctors had five payouts or more in thesame 15-year period.
What Happened to State Regulation and Intervention?
The government seems to regulate just about everything that we do. So why is the government not protecting innocent patients who are so poorly mistreated by physicians like Schewd? Shouldn’t Schewd’s multiple malpractice payouts raise red flags for state officials to take action?
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. To protect your legal rights, you should consult an experienced New York medical malpractice attorney to protect your legal rights.
For additional information about your legal options or to schedule a complimentary consultation, please call Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. at 1-800-529-9997.
