Medical malpractice insurance often costs doctors hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in premiums. However, this is for good cause. Medical malpractice can ruin someone’s life — or worse, kill them.
The lack of knowledge about medical malpractice often leaves victims on their own. They may feel their issue is just a common error. They may even be told that the issue is normal. There are many reasons why a patient waits too long to contact an attorney about their medical issues.
If you or a loved one has an upcoming medical procedure, find out more about the different types of medical malpractice below.
Errors in Medication
Prescription drug errors occur when the type of medication or the dosage is incorrectly administered to the patient. This may occur at any stage of the prescription process, even with the pharmacist. Medication errors may also be due to the doctor failing to check for allergies or interactions.
Serious, life-threatening reactions can occur because of this, which is why you should sue for prescription drug errors.
Errors in Treatment
Errors in treatment are usually due to misdiagnosis. This means the patient receives treatment they don’t need. Sometimes, misdiagnosis is difficult to prove because there has to be evidence that the doctor failed to do something that other doctors would have done.
Errors in Surgery
Errors in surgery present in many forms. It may involve:
- Unnecessary surgery
- Incorrect surgery
- Damage during surgery
- Anesthesia errors
- Non-sterile conditions
- Inadequate aftercare
- Forgetting medical equipment inside the patient
Although patients sign a waiver before surgery, this does not mean they sign away their right to sue for negligence.
Failure to Diagnose
Failure to diagnose is a type of misdiagnosis. It leads directly to a failure to treat, which can cause permanent medical problems for the patient.
Delayed diagnosis is also a serious error. It may begin with a misdiagnosis of the problem, delaying the patient from receiving the right treatment.
The crux of these legal cases is that it can be proven the doctor did not take conventional steps to diagnose, like ordering the right tests or assessing test results correctly.
Birth Injuries
Birth injuries may occur at any time along the birthing process. These errors may happen during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. These errors may harm the baby, the mother, or both.
Adequate prenatal care should be provided by the obstetrician. Failure to identify birth defects or other issues during this phase are also types of birth injury malpractice.
During labor and delivery, many errors may occur. They may include failing to perform a Cesarean, failing to use proper equipment, or fail to handle complications the right way.
Identifying the Different Types of Medical Malpractice
Identifying types of medical malpractice involved in a case requires the professional help of a malpractice attorney. In some cases, the doctor may not be at fault for the mistake. In other cases, the facts of the case may make it difficult to prove who was at fault.
There’s no harm in seeking out an attorney for their professional advice. Check out other legal articles on our blog for motivation.
