Although technology is more advanced in the medical world today, there are still prevalent medical errors that can hinder the level of care and treatment patients receive. Medical errors are regarded as one of the prominent causes of fatality in the US.
Whether you’re a concerned family member fighting on behalf of a loved one’s mistreatment, or you’re a patient, knowing the common causes of a medical malpractice lawsuit such as the ones listed below could save a life.
Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis
One of the scariest situations you can be in is being misdiagnosed by your doctor, or having a health issue that wasn’t diagnosed straight away. Unfortunately, a misdiagnosis can lead to severe complications and potentially be fatal. A delayed diagnosis can occur when the doctor reaches the right diagnosis eventually, but not in a reasonable time.
Childbirth Injuries
Even though the United States is considered a medically advanced country, childbirth fatality is high. When compared with third world countries, some have better rates than the United States. Research carried out into the matter discovered that half of childbirth deaths were preventable, with most occurring due to relaxed safety protocol in healthcare settings, busy doctors, and misdiagnoses. If a child is born with serious injuries, this can result in long-term disabilities that will hinder their quality of life.
Medication Errors
Sadly, the United States is heavily dependent on prescription medications, meaning it should come as no surprise to learn that another common reason for medical malpractice lawsuits is because of medication errors. Whether it’s prescribing the wrong dosage, distributing the wrong medication, or supplying medication at the incorrect concentration, medication errors result in thousands of deaths across the country.
Surgical Errors
While there are lots of regulations in place, surgical errors are commonplace. While many aren’t life-threatening, they can still be dangerous and debilitating. Some of the common causes of surgical errors include operating on the incorrect side of a body or even operating on the wrong patient. Other surgical errors include instruments being left in the body, and anesthesia errors. If you are awaiting surgery, you need to remember that such errors are incredibly rare, meaning that a singular hospital would only experience an error every 5-10 years.
Defective Medical Device
No matter how trained medical staff are, patients could still suffer serious injuries if life-saving medical equipment malfunctions or breaks down during an operation. If a medical device stops working halfway through surgery, oxygen flow will halt to the patient. Should this happen, the root cause could be down the manufacturers who created the product (manufacturer liability), or the hospital’s fault in keeping the equipment maintained (hospital liability). No matter the reason, it could be somebody else who is held accountable for the injured patient’s damages.
If you have received insufficient care from a medical provider, or you have lost a loved one because of someone else’s negligence, contacting Gibson Hill Personal Injury and filing a medical malpractice case should be your first step.
Unfortunately, medical malpractice does occur. However, understanding the common causes can help you be more aware and proactive.