NYC spends big for medical errors

New York City has paid out more than a half billion dollars over the last four fiscal years  to pay for medical mistakes at its 11 public hospitals, according to a report in the New York Daily News citing city records. The tab – paid ultimately by taxpayers -- came to $134 million in the last fiscal year alone. The records detailed a long list of medical mishaps, many of them causing terrible and permanent physical damage to patients. One incident reportedly occurred at Queens Hospital Center where a baby suffered a skull fracture during birth and now has difficulty walking and speaking, a case that resulted in a $5.3 million award. But that was just one of 270 cases completed in the fiscal year that ended June 30. Get more information on medical malpractice.