Medical malpractice occurs whenever a patient is harmed by the actions of a medical professional
acting outside of the scope of their standard of care. In fact, every
year, there are between 15,000 and 19,000 individual cases of medical
malpractice that are brought before courts every year. Out of the cases
that are usually seen by lawyers and judges, there are some medical malpractice
cases that occur more often than others. If you or a loved one believe
that any errors occurred when you were being treated by a doctor, then
you should consult with an attorney that focuses their practice on medical
malpractice claims.
What actions result in malpractice lawsuits?
It is important to remember when speaking with an attorney that simply
being dissatisfied with the level of care that you received does not mean
that you have a medical malpractice claim. It must be proven that a doctor
did not perform their duties as a doctor in a way that would be reasonably
expected considering their privileged position as your doctor.
Some of the most common ways that a doctor can be found negligent in the
care of another:
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Misdiagnosis: A doctor that does not discover the cause of a problem in a reasonable
amount of time may be denying the patient valuable opportunities to receive
treatment for this condition. If other doctors with the same information
would have diagnosed this condition, you may have a medical malpractice case.
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Surgery Error: Mistakes that arise in the operating room based on things that happened
during the actual surgery or in the post-operative care provided by the
nursing staff.
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Childbirth Injury: Childbirth can be an extremely stressful time on the mother and her baby,
which can be made worse when the prenatal care or childbirth goes awry
based on the actions of a medical professional. There are numerous ways
that medical care concerning childbirth can result in a medical malpractice claim.
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Anesthesia Error: Anesthesiologist mistakes can result in injury, brain damage, or death
when patient history and risks are not explored before administering the
medication.
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Medication Error: Medication errors can occur from the doctor writing the prescription to
the nurse administering the drug to the pharmacist filling the script.
With millions of people every year harmed by medicine errors, doctors
must be careful to consider patient history and dosage.
These are only some of the ways that a patient may have a
medical malpractice claim against a medical professional. While years of specialized training
are required to become a doctor of any kind, preventable mistakes do occur
and drastically change the lives of those seeking care.
Contact The Law Offices of Patrick L. Block, P.C. if you believe a doctor or other medical professional caused you injury.
With over 20 years of experience, you can be sure that your case is in
good hands.