Patients can be severely injured or even killed when healthcare providers commit medical errors. Individuals harmed by a medical mistake can file a claim and pursue the compensation they deserve. Here are the most common types of medical malpractice claims you can file against negligent healthcare professionals:
- Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnoses are among the most common causes of medical malpractice. You can consider an issue as a misdiagnosis when a doctor:
- Incorrectly identifies a health condition
- Tells sick patients that they are healthy
- Accurately diagnoses a disease but at a significant delay
- Fails to detect a related illness or complication
Your condition can worsen when a physician fails to diagnose you correctly and promptly. Additionally, you may have to pay for unnecessary, expensive treatments.
Reckless healthcare professionals who misdiagnose their patients and cause them harm should be held accountable.
- Medication Errors
Medicines are meant to cure health conditions. But when incorrectly prescribed, they can trigger unwanted bodily reactions, ranging from mild allergies to even death. Healthcare providers commit a medication error when they advise patients to take:
- The wrong medicine for their condition
- Incorrect dosage
- Prescription drugs the patient is allergic to
- Medicine that can adversely interact with current medications
Antibiotics, cardiovascular drugs, steroids, and psychotropic drugs are often involved in medication errors. Whatever the drug is, any prescription mistake that leads to patient harm can be considered medical malpractice.
- Surgical Mistakes
Surgeries are complex procedures. That’s why surgical professionals undergo rigorous training to perform surgical operations. Despite this, medical malpractice claims caused by surgical errors are pretty prevalent. These careless acts include:
- Leaving foreign objects inside the patient’s body
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Conducting surgery on the wrong patient
- Performing the incorrect surgical procedure
- Failing to sterilize surgical tools and causing an infection
Surgical errors can lead to devastating consequences for patients. Most victims may require lifelong care and treatment. That’s why they have all the right to pursue damages.
- Childbirth Injuries
The birth of a child is exciting for parents, but negligent healthcare practitioners can ruin this precious moment. Some common birth injuries caused by medical malpractice include:
- Brain damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Shoulder dystocia
- Cerebral palsy
- Hypoxia
- Death
Most birth injuries occur when healthcare providers fail to monitor a mother’s or child’s vital signs, don’t order a C-section when necessary, or misuse forceps. No matter the cause, no family deserves to be a victim of medical malpractice.
Get Help From Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Besides the physical harm, the aftermath of medical malpractice can be traumatic for patients and their families. If you or your loved one has been a victim of a medical mistake, contact us at Baird Brockstedt Mandalas Federico & Cardea. Our medical malpractice claims law experts will inform you about your legal options and help you get what you are owed.