(NewsNation) — Medical errors are among the leading causes of death in the United States but holding doctors accountable is complicated and the system for doing so varies from state to state.
Not all medical errors rise to the level of malpractice and in fact, the majority don’t. In most states, plaintiffs will have to prove the doctor was negligent in their action and that the negligence caused harm in order to win a case.
Tune in to NewsNation Prime at 8/7 Central Wednesday for the third installment of our investigation into medical malpractice laws.
But with each state setting its own rules, patients and their families are up against a tangled web of laws that could prevent them from taking action — statutes of limitations and caps on the amount of money victims can receive often keep them out of the courtroom.
To learn how your state operates, NewsNation created a searchable database of relevant malpractice laws:
This story is part of NewsNation’s investigation into the tangled web of state medical malpractice laws that can make it difficult for patients and family members to file lawsuits against doctors they believe were medically negligent. Find all of our coverage on the topic here.