What are Common Forms of Medical Malpractice?
Significant numbers of deaths and injuries every year are due to medical mistakes. A medical professional who causes these outcomes because of personal negligence or failure to act appropriately may be accused of medical malpractice. These are among the most common forms of medical malpractice.
Misdiagnosis
If a patient presents with symptoms that grow worse over time, the doctor who misdiagnoses their cause may be susceptible to medical malpractice claims. Common ways that a doctor’s mistakes or negligence can negatively impact a patient’s outcome include:
- A worsening condition due to delays in treatment
- Side effects of an inappropriate treatment plan
- Loss of a body function due to incorrect or insufficient treatment
- Development of a secondary condition
It is often challenging for a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis immediately after examining a patient. A patient who can show that other doctors could quickly arrive at a precise diagnosis can make a credible malpractice accusation.
Surgical Errors
Although surgical errors are rare, when they happen, they include damaging an artery or nerve, leaving an instrument in the body, operating on the wrong body part, or misinterpreting the need for an operation. Failure to provide proper post-operative instruction can also lead to a malpractice accusation. Depending upon the nature of the error, a patient may file a malpractice lawsuit immediately after the error occurs or after it becomes apparent, even if it takes years to discover it.
Medication Errors
Neglecting to review and correctly interpret a patient’s medical history before filling out a prescription can potentially lead a doctor to become the target of a malpractice lawsuit. Examples include prescribing an unnecessary drug with damaging side effects, a drug contraindicated by a patient’s health condition, a drug with the incorrect dosage, or a drug that negatively interacts with others the patient is taking.
Mistakes Surrounding Childbirth
Mistakes or inadequate treatment during pregnancy or the birthing process can cause permanent harm to a mother or child. Failure to diagnose and treat a mother’s medical condition, including diabetes or lupus, can cause complications that threaten her health and lead to her child’s life-long problems.
When a doctor neglects to perform a necessary cesarean procedure or misuses forceps and fails to recognize or act upon obviously dangerous complications during delivery, the mother and child could experience a negative outcome for which the doctor may be liable.
If you think you might be the victim of a medical professional’s error resulting in your pain and suffering, consider contacting a lawyer as soon as possible, such as a birth injury lawyer from Pioletti, Pioletti & Nichols today.