According to statistics, medical negligence is the third biggest killer, following cancer and heart disease closely. Also known as medical malpractice, it is a disaster where doctors or other medical professionals misdiagnose or give patients unrelated medicine, which leads to injuries or, worse still, death. If you have ever experienced medical negligence or know someone who has undergone such a situation, you already know how painful and devastating this can be. The good thing is that the law covers this malpractice, and you can sue the hospital or doctor if it happens. Here are some of the common causes.
1. Surgical Errors
Surgical error is the leading cause of surgical negligence. Many errors occur on the surgical table, some being unintentional, while others are intentional. If you are sure that it wasn’t planned, you can carry on with the healing process since, at surgeries, mistakes are bound to happen. However, when the error becomes deliberate, and you have evidence of it, you can sue the hospital or the doctor who carried out the procedure. According to the legal professionals from this site, they often encounter surgical errors that can be regarded as intentional. They include leaving surgery equipment and materials in the patient’s body. They can also happen when the surgeon operates on the wrong side other than intended.
2. Birth/OB-Gyn Errors
Birth errors always occur to most mothers when giving birth, resulting in the death of the mother, child, or both. In case there is an injury, risk, or death caused by malpractice of a nurse or doctor, such leads to malpractice. If proper procedures aren’t carried on during birth or if the delivery space is contaminated, the mother and child can get an infection or unsuccessful delivery. When such happens to you or someone you know, you can sue the individuals responsible and get compensated under the law. You only need to have the right lawyer who will take you through the process.
3. Medicine Errors
Medical malpractice is one of the foremost medical negligence which happens daily. It involves the patient getting the wrong prescription from a doctor or any medical practitioner, which adversely affects them. The wrong medication might include the wrong dosage, inadequate dosage, or giving a patient medicines without informing them of the possible side effects. This malpractice happens when the doctor or attendant has less know-how of the profession, isn’t qualified, or through carelessness. When such happens, you can sue the concerned parties with a medical malpractice claim.
4. Emergency Room and Anesthesia Error
Any medicine given to a patient, including anesthesia, depends on the patient’s condition and medical history. Doctors’ and attendants in the emergency room need to know the patient well and their records before administering any medication or procedure in the emergency room. Giving the wrong dosage of any type of anesthesia or applying the wrong approach in an emergency room without following the right process is very risky, and one can get sued in a court of law.
If you have been misdiagnosed or experienced any of the above medical malpractices, you can sue the concerned hospital and have compensation for the same. What you need is to get a reliable, competent lawyer who will carry you over the process.
