Medical malpractice is now the third-leading cause of death in the United States, a problem that has seemed only to get worse as time passes. Many neglect cases or direct actions may cause various mistakes that increase your risk of suffering from this issue. Understanding the common types of accidents that cause malpractice helps you understand your right and ability to pursue compensation.
The Definition of Malpractice
Medical malpractice, like any other personal injury, has to fall into distinct qualifying stages. Due to its severity, malpractice has unique factors that it must meet before you can pursue a case. Before talking about the accidents that may trigger this type of case, it is worth understanding these elements to ensure that your case falls within the headings of this lawsuit. They include:
- A doctor and patient relationship between the two parties in the suit
- The expectation of a specific standard of care by the medical professional
- The violation of that standard of care through neglect or direct action
- Injuries caused by that negligence or action that affect the plaintiff
- Significant damage caused by the harm that makes a person’s life much more difficult
It is important to note that a doctor need not perform this action on purpose to trigger malpractice. Just as critically, you must know that some malpractice doesn’t even include activities by the doctor. We’ll take a look at this type of “non-action” malpractice in the following section. There, we’ll break down some of the most common accidents that fall under the malpractice heading.
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Accidents That May Fall Under Malpractice
Let’s break down some of the most common and damaging accidents that lead to malpractice lawsuits. Each of these situations can cause significant pain and suffering and may occur at any time. Thankfully, the medical community takes steps to minimize just how often they occur.
Missing or Misdiagnosing a Dangerous Health Problem
Doctors are by no means perfect. Sometimes, even the most skilled professional may miss a minor diagnosis. When caught and treated in time, malpractice likely did not occur. However, a doctor may also miss a severe health problem. When this happens, malpractice is the ultimate result.
For example, a doctor may diagnose stomach pain as a type of digestive order instead of catching stomach tumors. As a result, they may not even provide the proper full range of screening steps necessary to detect this problem. As a result, stomach cancer may worsen and put a person’s life at risk. This type of non-action malpractice is prevalent and requires legal help to manage appropriately.
Discharging a Person Too Quickly
Have you ever wondered why your doctor keeps you in the hospital so long, even after minor treatments? If they let you go too soon, and you suffer from adverse effects, they could have committed malpractice against you.
For example, if they released you after leg surgery too soon for you to walk correctly, you could fall and end up injuring yourself and experiencing worsened symptoms. Note: the injuries you suffer must be severe to qualify. If you simply feel dizzy or have a stomachache, your case is not applicable.
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Improper Medication Doses
Nurses and doctors carefully screen each medication that they give to help minimize the risk of errors. However, mistakes can happen. For example, you might get double the dose you’re supposed to get of pain medication and experience adverse side effects.
Or you might get prescribed the wrong medication or get too much anesthesia and get paralyzed as a result. This situation calls for a malpractice lawsuit that helps sort out the problem and provides you with the compensation you deserve.
Mistakes During Childbirth
Childbirth is a very delicate situation in which many mistakes may happen. For example, a doctor may use tools improperly and severely damage a child’s body. Some may even miss tangled umbilical cords during delivery and cause a lack of oxygen to a child’s brain.
Whatever the case, any damage to a just-born child can be permanent and debilitating. Unfortunately, even minor mistakes can cause this problem. Thankfully, malpractice attorneys can help suffering parents get the compensation that they deserve to avoid this problem.
Many Surgical Errors
Surgical errors make up most malpractice cases, accounting for at least one-third of all lawsuits. The types of errors will vary depending on the situation. Any of these situations is terrifying and could cause significant pain and troubles in a person’s life. They include:
- Operating on the wrong body part and causing unnecessary damage
- Damaging organs due to unnecessary procedures or mistaken identity
- Cutting too broadly on the body and damaging various tissue areas
- Leaving surgical tools inside of a patient (more common than you’d imagine)
- Performing surgery on a person who doesn’t need it (mistaken identity)
- Improper anesthesia use (waking up during surgery or getting injured by the anesthetic)
- Poor blood management, leading to damaged tissues or organs
Surgical errors like these often occur during lengthy and complex procedures. Even though multiple doctors and nurses help check for their occurrence, problems may still slip by from time to time. When they do, people suffer, and the pain may be quite hard to tolerate. Compensation may be necessary to help pay for treatments or cover financial expenses if you lose a job after an injury.
You Can Get Compensated
Were you affected by any of these accidents and suffered from pain you didn’t deserve? Then, talk to a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer if any of these accidents affect you. They’ll help prepare your case, understand the steps necessary to pursue it to a logical end, gather evidence, and even provide emotional support during these challenging times. You deserve compensation and should take steps to get it.
