Dealing with the human body can be a stressful situation, as there are countless things that can go wrong. Sometimes, doctors and other professionals can make massive errors due to negligence.
When these errors occur, it causes the patient physical and emotional issues. In addition, they may face financial loss. The consequences are serious and the timeline is short for filing a lawsuit.
Curious about what can happen in the hospital? Read on to find the five most common types of medical malpractice.
1. Misdiagnosis
12 million people are impacted by a medical misdiagnosis every year in the United States. This can be a huge error to make because it can lead to further complications and even death.
A misdiagnosis could be an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis and treatment of a disease or condition. This likely means that the treatment will not help with the ailment at all.
2. Failure to Treat
Failure to treat occurs when the doctor achieved the correct medical diagnosis. However, they did not implement the correct treatment.
This situation may present itself if the doctor has taken on too many patients. It could lead to being overloaded with patients and work. Therefore, patients may face a dip in the quality of treatment, be released too soon, or lack proper follow-up.
3. Delayed Treatment
Similar to a misdiagnosis, the patient may receive the incorrect diagnosis at first. Eventually, they do receive the correct diagnosis and treatment.
This delay causes the ailment to become worse because they did not initially receive adequate treatment. For this to become a medical malpractice case, the doctor will have to have treated the patient with less competence than others.
If the doctor did not order the proper tests or if they failed to recognize the condition on scans, they may be liable. For help in determining if you have a medical malpractice case, read more here.
4. Surgical Errors
Undergoing surgery is always a scary thing to face. One of the biggest fears is that the doctor will make a mistake. Unfortunately, this does happen.
It is a common misconception that just because you signed a waiver of some sort, that they are under no obligation. This is not the case. You should have a lawyer look into your situation.
Common surgical errors include:
- Incorrect procedure
- Non-sterile instruments
- Left behind medical equipment
- Issues with anesthesia
- Damage to nerves, organs, or tissues
- Unnecessary procedures
- Inadequate follow-up
5. Birth Injury
A birth injury is one of the most devastating injuries. Typically, this is a time of great joy and happiness as a family welcomes their baby into the world.
Birth injuries may occur in numerous ways. For example, negligence during birth or prenatal care is possible. Any sort of negligence might lead to the death or injury of the mother or baby.
While maternal death is not always a result of medical malpractice, there are about 700 women who die each year from childbirth or pregnancy.
Be Aware of the Common Types of Medical Malpractice
The goal of being aware of the types of medical malpractice is not to scare you. There are many doctors who are able to effectively treat conditions and have the best intentions. However, it is important to remember where things may go wrong so you can protect yourself.
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