Medical malpractice attorneys who have been in the business long enough eventually come to see what the most commonly reported medical malpractice incidents are, and national statistics confirm these findings. Legitimate cases of medical malpractice that cause grievous injury or death are relatively rare, but that rarity does not make the injuries any better. Patients visit doctors to get treated for medical conditions, and getting injured by those doctors that they trust often comes as a traumatic shock.
To educate the public in what medical malpractice looks like, we have compiled a list of some of the most common medical malpractice areas. We hope reading about them makes you a bit warier about the potential for mistakes in the medical community. And should you ever need a medical malpractice lawyer in Pennsylvania to fight in court for your right to financial compensation, Latona Law will be there for you.
1. Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis is one of the most commonly seen medical malpractice charges. A misdiagnosis consists of a doctor or other medical professional either diagnosing a condition incorrectly or failing to diagnose a serious condition at all. An incorrect diagnosis could lead to the patient not receiving the treatment he or she actually needs, which can lead to further injury or death. Similarly, the doctor treating the patient for the wrong illness could also lead to bodily injury.
It is important to note that some diseases have symptoms that are difficult to detect, and it may not always be possible for a doctor to know immediately what the problem is. Medical malpractice only occurs if the doctor made an incompetent mistake that a more responsible doctor would not have made, and the patient became injured as a direct result. If something like this has happened to you, it is important to consult with a malpractice lawyer to discover what your rights are.
2. Prescription Medication Mistakes
Another common form of medical malpractice involves a doctor prescribing the wrong medication to a patient, prescribing the incorrect dosage of a medication, or failing to account for dangerous side effects or combinations with other drugs. Any of these errors in medication prescriptions can be harmful or even fatal for the patient. If the doctor truly should have known better, then malpractice may have occurred. A medical expert would need to testify as to what the proper kind of prescription would have been for the patient’s condition at the time. If the doctor indeed acted negligently and hurt a patient, the patient could be entitled to compensation.
3. Birth Injuries
National statistics say that about a fifth of all medical malpractice claims are made against OB/GYNs. These doctors can make a host of mistakes when caring for a woman and her child before, during, or after birth. An error in judgment could lead to the child getting hurt or dying in the womb or during delivery. Birth injuries may include the child breaking bones while being born, developing Erb’s palsy in one of the shoulders, or developing cerebral palsy due to being deprived of oxygen before or during birth. Sometimes, these types of injuries are unavoidable, but if the doctor should have known better and hurt the mother or child through negligence, malpractice may have occurred.
4. Surgical Errors
The potential for surgeons making mistakes during surgery are, of course, great. It takes a skilled mind and a steady hand to perform surgeries successfully. Again, we must distinguish between a negligent mistake and a surgery that, no matter what, could not correct a problem. Examples of surgical errors include the surgeon leaving an instrument inside the patient’s body, damaging other body parts while operating, performing the wrong surgery, or operating on the wrong patient. These kinds of surgical mistakes can lead to the patient developing infections, becoming severely injured, experiencing decreased life quality, or even dying. Should you decide to pursue litigation following a surgical mistake, a medical expert will be required to testify as to what the proper procedure would have been, and how your surgeon acted negligently.
5. Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors do not happen often in surgeries today, but, as in the case of surgeons, the potential for mistakes is quite high. Anesthesiologists need to examine the patient’s medical history before administering anesthesia. They also need to inform the patient not to eat for a certain period before the surgery, if necessary. During the procedure itself, too much anesthesia can cause complications, brain injury, or death. Anesthesia administration is complex and sensitive work, and if you or a loved one has been injured by an anesthesia error, know that you have the right to pursue legal action to recover financial restitution for yourself and your family.
Your Medical Malpractice Law Firm
If any of these or other instances of medical malpractice have happened to you or a family member, do not simply roll over and accept your circumstances. Doctors and other healthcare providers owe you competent service, since your life could depend on them performing their jobs correctly. When doctors become derelict in their duty to provide a high standard of medical care, and they injure their patients as a direct result, those doctors must be held accountable.
That’s why Latona Law is here. We have spent more than three decades fighting for Pennsylvania citizens who have been injured by their doctors or other trusted members of the medical community. Call us today if you have been the victim of medical malpractice and do not know where else to turn. Our malpractice lawyers will listen to your story and advise you on the next steps. You could win a settlement that covers all you have suffered due to injury, as well as any medical bills you have accumulated.