When it comes to receiving medical treatment, you don’t want to put your faith in just anyone. With years of education behind them, many people typically regard doctors as being some of the most well-qualified professionals. Because of this, most people assume that their doctor knows best. It’s important that you trust your doctors and other medical professionals who treat you. For some people, this trust is broken due to negligence from a medical professional, which can have devastating results. Medical neglect happens so frequently that it’s one of the leading causes of death in America.
People shouldn’t have to fear that their doctor might do something to harm them. At Latona Law, we believe that anyone who commits medical negligence should be held accountable for their actions. We work with clients in Harrisburg to help them get justice for the damages that have been done.
How is Medical Negligence Determined?
Determining whether or not medical negligence did occur requires someone to have expert knowledge of the legal and medical fields. Mistakes can be made often while a patient is receiving treatments, but not every mistake is caused by medical neglect. The difference between a mistake and neglect is often difficult to show. Because of the complexity of a medical malpractice case, you need to be sure that you’re working with a lawyer who specializes in cases involving medical malpractice. In many cases, medical professionals will have to be brought in to help assess if medical neglect was involved.
If medical neglect did occur, the following five things need to be proven.
Doctor-patient relationship – The first part of showing medical malpractice is proving that there was an existing relationship between the doctor and patient. The patient must have sought help from the medical professional, and they, in turn, must have accepted it.
Duty of care – Whenever a medical professional treats a patient, they’re legally required to treat them with a certain “standard of care” for that situation. This is the level of care that any other similar, competent medical professional would have given.
Breach of duty – When medical negligence occurs, it must be proven that there was a breach of duty on medical professional’s part. This would mean they provided care that was below the accepted standard of care.
Causation – If the treatment a patient received did fall below the standard of care, it must have directly lead to harm for the patient. This harm could not have occurred had that patient received adequate care.
Damages – Any harm that was done to the patient by neglect must have resulted in damages for them. These can be monetary damages, such as medical bills, or emotional damages, like loss of enjoyment.
Common Types of Medical Negligence
Whenever a patient is treated by a medical professional, there’s always the chance that medical neglect could occur. This can happen even when they’re being treated for the most seemingly minor ailment. Of course, certain procedures and treatments have a higher chance of neglect happening and lead to more serious complications.
While medical negligence can happen to anyone, the following are the most common types.
Anesthesia errors – When too much anesthesia is administered, it can cause severe damage to the brain or the organs. However, if too little anesthesia is administered, a patient might feel a great deal of pain during a procedure. Patients can have harmful reactions to anesthesia is the medical professional overseeing them doesn’t take note of their medications.
Diagnosis errors – By not giving close enough attention, signs of a larger problem could easily be overlooked, leading to a misdiagnosis. This can cause a patient to get the wrong treatment, which can be harmful, or to not get any treatment at all. In the meantime, their condition could progress and cause pain.
Prescription errors – When prescribing medication, the wrong medication could be given. In some cases, the correct medication is given, but in the wrong amount. Both situations can cause health issues for patients.
Surgical errors – During surgery, the wrong body part could be operated on or harm can be done to the surrounding area. In severe cases, the wrong patient altogether was operated on. Some surgical tools might be left behind after surgery. Poor postoperative care can cause infections to develop.
Damages in a Medical Negligence Case.
If you’ve suffered from medical negligence, you likely experienced some type of loss afterward. Nothing can make up for the pain you and your loved ones have been put through. While it can’t undo what’s already been done, compensation could help you heal after this difficult time. Recovering from medical neglect can lead to extremely expensive bills that many people struggle to pay. Victims of medical neglect deserve to be compensated for the damages that have been done to them.
Some of the damages you could be compensated for from medical negligence include:
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Decreased quality of life
- Loss of a spouse, or parent for minors
- Lost wages from missing work due to injury
- Physical pain caused by a medical professional
- Medical bills from treating your injury
Medical Negligence Lawyers in Harrisburg
After medical neglect occurs, you need to work with lawyers who you can trust will fight for you. The lawyers at Latona Law specialize in only cases that involve medical malpractice. Our expertise in these cases ensures that you have the right team backing you up during this painful time. We’ll help you get justice and hold the guilty parties accountable.
If medical negligence occurs to either you or a loved one, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. At Latona Law, we help victims of medical negligence in Harrisburg fight back against the medical professionals involved. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss any questions and concerns you might have.