Originally
posted by
Uncle James:
None of the above> The stats are in and the number one killer in AMERICA> IS TA TA>> DOCTORS They kill more people than cars / cops AND guns all together. So that makes me safer driving 90 on the highway with my guns in my pocket with the cops chasing me to give me a speeding ticket. But if you go to the DOCTOR you may get killed> That is why they call it Practicing Medicine they get it wrong more times and kill more people every year.
This is common erroneous thing I have heard. I have yet to see this actually backed up by any facts though.
Malpractice is included the commonly "accident" or "accident/unintentional injuries" category. If you assume that the largest percentage of that category is due to Malpractice than yes this statement could be true. However, most I have seen while they do not break it down, do list Auto accidents (or all transportation accidents) as being well more than half of that category.
So even if you assume 40% of that amount is due to malpractice. That is still wrong. Cars alone would have killed more since it is always listed as the highest included in that category. But that would be roughly 50k, which I still think is way higher than the actual amount. But there are 40k self-inflicted deaths, most of which are prolly due to guns. Not counting all your other violence related gun deaths. So doubt malpractice is even higher cause of death than guns. Being higher than cops, prolly is only truth in that statement.