Most doctors and medical professionals are caring and competent, and work tirelessly to provide the best possible medical care to their patients. However, mistakes can happen. Sometimes these mistakes are relatively minor with no long term effects. Other times, the consequences can be lifelong debilitation or even death.

Once a doctor-patient relationship has been established, the doctor owes the patient a “duty of care”. This means that the patient can expect the degree of care, skill and diligence of treatment that would be administered by any competent physician under the same or similar circumstances.

MOST COMMON TYPES OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CLAIMS

Failure to Obtain Informed Consent

Medical errors are sometimes caused when a patient consents to a medical procedure without being fully informed of the expected results, potential risks and reasonable alternatives to the recommended course of action.

Misdiagnosis, Failure to Diagnose or Delay in Diagnosis

When a doctor fails to recognize the signs of disease or other abnormality, treatment is delayed or denied. This can result in life-threatening consequences for the patient. Nearly 1/3 of all screening mammograms return false a false negative in patients with breast cancer. Doctors who do not follow up appropriately on false negative studies for breast and other types of cancer may be found negligent in the case.

Birth Injuries or Negligent Maternity Care Practice

Birth injury medical malpractice claims arise from birth injuries to the mother or infant, wrongful birth (when a serious birth defect is not disclosed) or wrongful pregnancy (when a termination fails). OBGYNs face more medical malpractice claims than any other type of medical professional.

Surgical Errors

Surgical errors account for astounding amount of all medical malpractice cases brought before the courts. These types of errors can take the form of wrong site surgery (operating on the wrong body part), wrong patient surgery, unsanitary surgical tools, as well as organ and/or nerve damage. In some cases, surgical errors are preventable mistakes or are caused by negligence. Sleep deprivation or stress is one of the most common preventable causes of surgical errors. Years of schooling and training cannot make up for a doctor who is physically exhausted or mentally distracted.

Anesthesia Errors

When a patient undergoes surgery, they are typically put under sedation by a trained anesthesiologist. Since anesthesia can result in an unexpected reaction in the patient, it is up to the anesthesiologist to fully understand the patient’s medical history and monitor the patient’s vital signs while they are in surgery.

Medication Errors

Medication errors can take the form of errors in dosing, prescribing the wrong medicine for the diagnosis or prescribing the right medication for the wrong diagnosis. Pharmacists may be held responsible for injuries if they fail to warn patients of possible dangerous side effects or account for how interactions between the new medication and current medication.

If you believe that you were seriously injured as the result of a medical provider’s negligence, contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer today.

At Duque Law, our dynamic team has years of experience representing patients that have been harmed by medical malpractice. We seek justice for patients and their families who have suffered from preventable medical errors. Call us now at 1-877-241-9554 to learn more about your legal options. A free consultation is just a phone call away.