If you need to visit your doctor then you are likely already in a vulnerable state. So the idea of receiving treatment that could lead to serious or permanent damage is a concerning one.
Fortunately, it is rare, in fact, only 15% of personal injury cases come from medical negligence. Yet the number of deaths each year connected to medical negligence is still a major concern.
It is important therefore to have clearly in mind types of medical malpractice that one could encounter if you want to file a claim.
Misdiagnosis and Medication Errors
Medical misdiagnosis is the failure of a doctor to recognize and treat a condition, giving a false diagnosis in the process.
The consequences can be extremely far-reaching and even fatal. The patient could experience unnecessary pain and suffering because a doctor had not ascertained the cause of the complaint. At a later point, a patient may require invasive surgery. This could leave them housebound or with a lengthy recovery.
Another consequence of doctors misdiagnosing their patients is them giving patients the wrong medication. This could result in many negative effects. In a more serious case such as cancer, a misdiagnosis could even lead to a death that could have been prevented.
To go through all of this and find out that you didn’t need to understandably can lead to patients demanding answers. If this happens to you and you live in the four-state area 4stateslaw.com is a great source of support and advice.
Birth Injuries
At this most critical time for both mother and child, any negligence during pregnancy could have many negative consequences for both.
Malpractice at this time is not just limited to the delivery. A failure to diagnose a condition such as an ectopic pregnancy or a contagious disease that the mother could pass onto the child.
During delivery actions that could be deemed as incompetence on the part of the medical team involved would include: Being unaware and not acting on a baby being in distress, failure to ask for a cesarean when necessary, or notice the umbilical cord and the misuse of equipment such as forceps.
The long-term consequences could include nerve damage, paralysis developmental disorders, and conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are often called “Never Events” in the medical field. Never events nearly always preventable. Nonetheless, they are among the most common cases in which patients seek compensation.
The type of incident that would fall into this category would be a surgeon leaving instruments or other materials such as sponges inside a patient after surgery. This could easily lead to infection and further procedures to correct things.
Additionally, the wrong body part could be operated on, the patient could sustain an injury because another body part is damaged, or in extreme cases, the surgeon could conduct surgery on the wrong person.
How to Manage Different Types of Medical Malpractice
To move ahead with any type of claim there are some requirements needed on the part of the plaintiff.
Regardless of the different types of medical malpractice, an existing relationship needs to be established between the patient and doctor in question. The negligence has to be evident and proof of injury is necessary. Additionally, it is best for you to take action as quickly as possible, with time-varying depending on the state.
Knowledge in matters like these can be vital, so be sure to share this article and check out our other legal blog posts to stay in the know.
