Medical Errors Are a Leading Cause of Death: Study

Heart disease, then cancer are the leading causes of death for Americans. Chronic lower respiratory diseases like bronchitis and emphysema take third place, according to leading health groups. But that spot really belongs to a cause of death that doesn't even make the current list, according to a new paper published in The BMJ. The third-most deadly killers of Americans are medical errors, accounting for more than 250,000 deaths each year, the analysis says.