More People Die From Medical Errors Than Car Crashes

According to a new report from the Hearst Corporation called "Dead By Mistake", as many as 200,000 Americans die every year from preventable medical mistakes and hospital infections. That means that "more people die each month of preventable medical injuries than died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001," Hearst Newspapers Editor-at-Large Phil Bronstein, who oversaw the project, said. "The annual medical error death toll is higher than that for fatal car crashes."

The report found that the federal government and most states have made little or no progress in improving patient safety, as 20 states have no medical error reporting at all, five states have voluntary reporting systems and five are developing reporting systems. In terms of public disclosure, 45 states currently do not release hospital-specific information.

To read more about the report and it's findings, click here.