A recent study by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences provided some medical malpractice statistics that estimated as many as 98,000 patients may be killed each year in hospitals alone as a result of medical errors.

Surgical errors may occur in any kind of medical procedure. Even the simplest cosmetic surgery may result in an error. Surgical errors are most common in the following:

• Gastric Bypass
• Childbirth
• Cardiothoracic
• Thoracic Surgery
• Laparoscopic Intestinal Surgery
• Plastic Surgery/Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgical errors may occur during the following procedures:

• Otoplasty - Ear Surgery
• Rhytidectomy - Face Lift
• Rhinoplasty - Nasal Surgery
• Breast Augmentation
• Liposuction

In New York, for every 8 medical mistakes, only one malpractice claim is filed. This is according to a study from Harvard.

While medical costs have increased by 113% since 1987, the total amount spent on medical malpractice insurance has increased by just 52% over that time, less than half of medical services inflation.

According to Business Week, in 2001, only 895 out of 16,676 payouts (5%) topped $1 million.