Nursing Malpractice Claims on the Rise
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In a recent Gallup poll, people were asked to rank professional workers in the USA based on respect and popularity. The lowest-rated professions were car salesmen, journalists, and politicians.
The highest rated? Nurses. Followed by grade school teachers, medical doctors, and military officers.
Almost all people working in the learned professions such as medicine, law, accounting, and finance are subject to regulation and certification by various professional boards. Organizations such as the various state medical associations and legal bar chapters do much to ensure that quality and competence are maintained. With this in mind, it’s important to note that any human being is capable of making mistakes.
Nursing Malpractice
A new report published by the Nurses Services Organization found that malpractice claims against nurse have increased. During a period between between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2014 – more than $90 million was paid in malpractice claims against registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and licensed practical nurses.
Those at the highest risk for malpractice are nurses who were trained outside of the United States and nurses who have more experience. The report found that 85 percent of the claims filed were against nurses who had practiced for at least 16 years, but the largest indemnity payments involved those with no more than five years’ experience.
Certainly nurses deserve to be ranked high and respected for their training and dedication to the medical profession. On occasion, however, they make mistakes which can be very detrimental to patients.
When a mistake is made due to negligence or actual malpractice, the law permits victims to pursue reasonable compensation for any pain, illness, or injury incurred. There are attorneys trained to investigate these incidents and offer their expertise as to the wisest course to take.
MalpracticeAttorneys.com has partnered with the highest-rated attorneys in the country, and our referral service is free to victims.