Medical malpractice is a very touchy subject, and it’s easy to understand why. The roles of healthcare professionals are extremely difficult, and it’s normal for mistakes to happen by doctors, nurses, and other trained specialists. We are all human, after all.
However, there is a time when these “mistakes” are classified as negligence. Usually, this is defined as when a health care provider deviates from the traditional standards within their profession.
In this article, we are going to talk about five common types of medical malpractice.
Are you interested in learning more? Then keep on reading.
Surgery Mistakes
Surgeries are complex, and the process of getting everything set up is extensive. Occasionally, there are instances where an issue occurs due to a lack of preparation or care. For example, a surgical tool may be left in the body or the wrong limb operated on.
To pursue a medical malpractice claim, you must find the right professionals to help with your case. Unfortunately, these circumstances can be tricky to prove without the necessary evidence.
Check out Top Researched to see their selection of the best medical malpractice lawyers near you.
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare professional diagnoses an issue incorrectly. This prevents the individual from receiving the correct treatment early on (an often-vital part of curing many health conditions).
Of course, misdiagnosis can happen purely due to complex symptoms, but it can still be due to negligence. Therefore, doctors and nurses should do everything possible to determine the most likely cause of illness.
Failure to Treat
In some cases, a doctor does diagnose an illness correctly. However, they then neglect to provide the necessary care, leading to further injury or a worsening condition.
This is known as failure to treat and can result in severe complications. For instance, a patient may not be offered appropriate after-care, which causes an infection, or could be discharged too soon.
Incorrect Medication Dosage
One of the most common medical malpractice cases is medication errors. An individual may either receive the incorrect dosage of their medication or the wrong drug entirely.
Often, this is due to poor communication between health care professionals. However, it may also be that a report was misread or not looked at carefully before administering the drugs.
Birth Injuries
Last on the list, while birth injuries may seem like a very specific field, it’s sadly another area in which medical malpractice frequently occurs. Babies and mothers require vast care and attention during labor, birth, and the postnatal period.
Negligence can occur in many forms, including failure to monitor correctly, failure to diagnose complications, performing an unnecessary c-section, and providing inadequate prenatal/postnatal care.
Final Words
As you can see from the above, there are many types of medical malpractice. However, you must remember that not every instance will be eligible for a claim.
If you want to fight for compensation, it’s essential to go through the correct legal channels. Otherwise, you might not be happy with the outcome.
