COMMON MEDICAL MALPRACTICES
Negligence on the part of medical professionals can lead to serious errors which could have a permanent impact on the patient. The patients are forced to live with the emotional and physical consequences of the injury caused, through the rest of their lives. Sometimes patients who have been victims of medical malpractice don’t seek compensation. As the consequences are serious and the time frame to file a lawsuit is limited, Medical Malpractice Lawyers Wagners will assess your case and help you fight for your right. Following are some of the common medical malpractices:
- Misdiagnosis:
Several cases of failure to diagnose the correct illness qualify as malpractice. The doctor may either say that the patient has no illness or may diagnose them with a condition they do not suffer from. Wrongly diagnosing a healthy patient with a condition that they do not have is also categorized as misdiagnosis. All misdiagnosis’ do not qualify as malpractice. It would be termed as malpractice only when the doctor has failed to provide a treatment that other doctors would in a similar situation and which harmed the patient.
- Delayed Diagnosis:
In the case of delayed diagnosis, the doctor initially makes an incorrect diagnosis but the patient eventually receives the accurate diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis can cause the condition of the patient to become worse, as necessary treatment was not provided on time. If the doctor assessed the patient less competently as any other doctor would, then the case would qualify as delayed diagnosis.
- Failure to Treat:
When the diagnosis is correct but the treatment recommended is not adequate for the condition, then it is classified as a failure to treat. It usually happens when the doctor is treating too many patients and tends to put profit over safety. If the doctors are not paying attention to the basic standards of care, then the patient might be released too soon or fail to offer to follow up care or even neglect to refer the patient to a specialist.
- Surgical Errors:
Errors during surgery can have a significant impact on the quality of life. Though there is a consent form signed acknowledging all the risks and complications of the operation or even death, it does not mean that negligence on doctor’s behalf is covered. Some of the common examples of errors are, performing an incorrect procedure, performing unnecessary surgery, damaging organs, nerves or tissues during surgery, using non-sterile surgical instruments and leaving medical equipment inside the patient.
- Birth Injury:
Inadequate prenatal care, negligence during birth or injuries to mom or baby while leading to birth constitute a birth injury. If the injuries were preventable, then medical malpractice has likely taken place. - Medical Product Liability:
In some cases, the patient may suffer due to the medical equipment which was used. Faulty equipment could injure the patient and may worsen the condition. Often many are injured by the faulty device before the defect is detected.