Many patients become victims of medical malpractice every year, which result in millions of dollars in damages. If a patient experiences harm, suffers and injury, develops an illness or their condition deteriorates as a result of poor care or treatment provided by a medical professional, it may qualify as a medical malpractice. Doctors owe a duty of care to their patients, and the care they provide must be equal or greater than what professionals in similar fields would provide. You should take immediate action by consulting with a qualified lawyer if you believe that you have been a victim of medical malpractice. They will evaluate your case and determine what damages that you can recover.
Failure to Diagnose
Patients rely on doctors’ specialized experience and knowledge to administer the relevant tests and give a proper diagnosis. If a doctor does not notice symptoms, confuses one illness for another, or makes other mistakes in their diagnosis, it can amount to negligence and medical malpractice. The doctor may not have been paying attention or did not consider the results of other diagnostic tests. If you have seen a second doctor who was able to provide you a correct diagnosis, you may be able to file a claim against the initial doctor you saw who provided an incorrect diagnosis.
Misinterpretation of Test Results
When a doctor orders a certain test for patients to take, they must be able to accurately examine the results of the tests. They need to interpret them correctly in order to make a diagnosis, stop treatment or make any changes to a patient’s treatment plan. A misinterpretation of test results can have dramatic consequences on a patient’s health, as a medical malpractice lawyer like one at Ward & Ward Law Firm knows. A patient’s condition can change or become much worse because a doctor may make an incorrect decision based on their misreading of results.
Wrong Prescription
A significant portion of medical malpractice consists of prescription errors. A prescription error can cause patients to suffer harm like organ damage, bleeding, and cause their condition to worsen. In addition to medications wrongly prescribed by a doctor, prescription errors also extend to pharmacists who give the wrong medication or dosage amount. Medical malpractice also covers errors that involve a pharmacist explaining instructions regarding medication incorrectly to a patient.
Birth Injury
Many mothers may experience birth injuries as a result of negligence committed by doctors, nurses and other staff. Common types of birth injuries include forcep injuries, bruises, and harm caused by hypoxia, or lack of oxygen to the brain. Babies can experience delays in cognitive development or more serious conditions like cleft lips and heart defects as a direct result of birth injuries that could have been prevented.
Surgical Mistakes
Another frequently committed error found in medical malpractice claims include surgery errors. Doctors and surgical staff may leave instruments in patients, accidentally remove the wrong organ, or make mistakes when administering anesthesia. These are all mistakes that commonly affect patients who have undergone surgery or have just finished surgery.
Find out how you can request legal assistance by consulting with a reputable and trusted medical malpractice lawyer now.