Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical malpractice is extremely common in the US, with roughly 12,500 cases brought forth each year. If you think you could be a victim of medical malpractice, it helps to know what types of errors constitute typical medical malpractice cases. Our friends at Hall-Justice offer a brief overview of the common forms of medical malpractice and what to do if you believe you are a victim of medical malpractice.

What Are Some Examples of Medical Malpractice?

The key words in any medical malpractice case are “unnecessary harm.” Harm, in itself, is not medical malpractice, as harm to the patient can be justified if the benefits outweigh the costs. For example, administering chemotherapy to treat cancer can not be considered medical malpractice. Chemotherapy often causes severe side effects that harm the patient, but because the treatment is considered necessary to treat the greater harm of cancer, it does not qualify as medical malpractice.

Some examples of medical malpractice are:

• Medication errors: If a healthcare provider prescribes the wrong medication or a nurse administers the wrong medication or dosage, this may be considered medical malpractice. This is a very common type of medical malpractice, resulting in between 7,000 to 9,000 deaths each year.

• Diagnostic errors: A healthcare provider may diagnose the wrong condition or fail to diagnose a condition, which may be considered medical malpractice if it results in harm. For example, failing to diagnose cancer which then leads to advanced cancer may be considered medical malpractice.

• Anesthesia errors: This encompasses a wide range of errors that include more than just administering anesthesia improperly. It may also be considered medical malpractice if the patient is not properly informed about the proper pre-anesthesia process or if the healthcare provider neglects to appropriately investigate the patient’s medical history before administering anesthesia. Improper intubation also falls under the category of anesthesia-related medical malpractice.

• Childbirth errors: Any undue harm to the fetus or the mother may be considered medical malpractice. This also includes inadequate prenatal care.

• Surgical errors: If a surgeon makes harmful mistakes during surgery such as damaging other organs, leaving surgical tools in the patient’s body, operating on the wrong body part, or operating on the wrong patient, it might be considered medical malpractice.

What Should You Do If You’re a Victim of Medical Malpractice?

Before you contact an insurance company, you may wish to contact a lawyer. He or she will help you bring a case to the guilty party’s insurance company, which involves many steps that can be complicated. This process can be helped along by someone knowledgeable about pursuing medical malpractice lawsuits.

If you think you might be a victim of medical malpractice, contact a medical malpractice lawyer who will try to earn you the compensation to which you may be entitled.