Medical malpractice is a terrifying prospect for many Americans today. We are sometimes required to put our lives and futures in the hands of another human being who may or may not be capable of providing the kind of care we deserve. And the statistics bear out those fears. Estimates show that 1.5 million patients are harmed due to medical malpractice every year, with one-third of them resulting from misdiagnosis. Medical malpractice rates vary depending on the reporting agency, but some have suggested that as many as 195,000 deaths are attributed to medical errors that could have been prevented. A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association states that at least 98,000 deaths are due to medical malpractice every year, a number that should be seen as an epidemic. A qualified medical malpractice lawyer can help you or a loved one pursue compensation for such errors.