Mistakes Archives

Credit Reports

One out of two credit reports has an inaccuracy. One out of every five has an inaccuracy bad enough to spoil a person’s credit.

Success – Maybe Not

Three out of every four businessmen who have achieved success but don’t feel they earned it properly, have taken up excessive drinking.

A Stupid Way to Make Some Money

What a way to make a living! Chris Burden tried to have photographs taken of himself as his arm was being grazed by a bullet, but the guy who shot him missed a little bit, causing a wound that required hospitalization. The pictures came out all right and he sold them to an art dealer for $1,750.

Folding Money

One time the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing accidentally printed bills worth $5 on the front, but with $1 backs. Inspectors caught the mistake before they were circulated.

Nurse’s Appointment

A woman was admitted to the hospital for plastic surgery to her jaw and nose to repair damage from an automobile accident. They wired her jaw shut and bandaged her nose. Her husband, who was present as she was waking up from the anesthesia, noticed that she couldn’t breathe. He quickly got a nurse who said, “Don’t worry about it,” and then left for an appointment at a beauty parlor. The woman died.

Surgical Mistakes

Sometimes doctors make mistakes that are like simple bookkeeping errors. Surgeons once removed a kidney from a man who had a kidney tumor. The problem was that they removed the good kidney. And they have been known to saw the wrong leg off an amputee.

Doctors on Strike

In 1976, doctors in Los Angeles went on strike because of the rising cost of malpractice insurance. All elective and non-emergency surgery and medical attention were canceled. During that time, 18 percent fewer people died than usual.

Cataracts and Hair Dye

Almost 90 percent of people who consistently dye their hair develop eye cataracts because of a chemical in the dye called paraphenylenediamine.