Medical errors are America's third-largest cause of death. Only heart disease and cancer have a higher body count.

A new report estimates that about 250,000 Americans die each year because of screw-ups in hospitals, doctors' offices and other medical settings. In 2013, research by NASA's chief toxicologist put the number at as many as 440,000.

In this episode of "How Do We Fix It?", Pittsburgh-based lawyer James Lieber brings a passion for practical solutions to a widespread problem. James has spent more than a decade researching medical errors after his friend and mentor died from a prescription overdose following a lung transplant. Last month, his provocative and practical op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, "How To Make Hospitals Less Deadly", caught our attention. (Note: readers can get behind the Journal's paywall by pasting the link at news.google.com).

His recent book is "Killer Care: How Medical Error Became America's Third Largest Cause of Death, And What Can Be Done About It"