Health Care Mistakes

Many medical mistakes can be considered malpractice in certain instances. This article focuses on four of those errors and how they can warrant lawsuits. As a medical malpractice lawyer can tell you, medical malpractice may have occurred if a medical professional or health care facility provided a patient with care that led to serious harm. The treatment provided must have been outside the normal standards in a given situation. Further, if no harm came to the patient, although malpractice may have occurred, you likely will be unable to sue for damages.

Childbirth Injuries

Medical malpractice can occur either before or during childbirth. Negligence before birth could include failing to identify an ectopic pregnancy or other congenital disabilities with the fetus. This could result in serious harm to the baby, mother or both. Throughout the birthing process, there are a number of ways that a physician could cause damage through negligence. This could include improper use of a vacuum extractor or forceps. Additionally, if the doctor fails to respond appropriately to fetal distress during the delivery, this can be considered negligent in some cases. Some injuries that could be the result of medical malpractice by an obstetrician are fractured fetal bones, brain injuries and ongoing pelvic health issues for mothers.

Misdiagnosis

A physician’s failure to present the correct diagnosis in a timely manner or misdiagnosing an illness altogether can have catastrophic consequences for a patient. It could lead to the patient missing out on potentially life-saving treatment options. Lawsuits for misdiagnosis will likely need to prove that a particular doctor’s action or failure to act was contrary to how other physicians would have acted in a similar or identical scenario. When the doctor’s peers would have acted differently, a medical malpractice lawsuit might be feasible.

Surgical Errors

Operating rooms can be a breeding ground for medical mistakes. Surgeons can easily operate on the incorrect limb, fail to remove surgical instruments from your body or pierce an organ. Further, other medical professionals can be negligent in their care post-operation, leading to severe infections. In these instances, you may be able to sue for medical malpractice.

Anesthesia Mistakes

Mistakes in administering anesthesia can result in brain damage, paralysis or other permanent injuries and death. If you have incurred this type of harm, you may be eligible to pursue a malpractice lawsuit.

Contact a medical malpractice attorney today to assist you in determining if you may have been the victim of medical malpractice.