Medical malpractice is a serious issue that can have devastating consequences. Unfortunately, it happens more often than you might think. It is essential to be aware of the different types of medical malpractice to protect yourself and your loved ones from suffering unnecessary harm due to medical negligence.

Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis

A doctor’s failure to diagnose a condition correctly or promptly can create a whole host of problems for the patient in question. This medical malpractice can lead to misinformed treatment decisions and serious health complications, including death.

Surgical Errors

Surgeons make mistakes all the time, but when those mistakes occur during surgery, it is the patients who suffer—and often greatly. Some common examples of surgical errors include leaving behind a foreign object in the patient’s body, performing the wrong surgery, or operating on the wrong area.

There is little room for carelessness in a medical setting. When the lives and health of patients are at stake, it is critical to use a high level of professional care at all times. A single negligent error by a medical professional can result in severe and lasting harm to a patient who relied on the care provider. Missed or delayed diagnoses are very common and can result in the unchecked progression of a disease such as cancer to a point at which it can no longer be treated as easily or effectively. Prescription drug errors might fail to treat the underlying health issue, and they can lead to all manner of harmful reactions to an unneeded or errantly prescribed drug. Surgical errors frequently require repeat surgery to correct and can leave a patient hospitalized and in pain for a prolonged period, even if the damage can be reversed.

Medical malpractice can be incredibly dangerous for the patient. If you believe that you have suffered harm as a result of medical malpractice, it is advisable to speak with an attorney upon your first suspicion. 

What Must be Proven in a Medical Malpractice Claim?

Two of the most critical facts that must be proven are that your healthcare provider was negligent in treating you, and that you suffered harm as a result. It is not necessary to prove any sort of malicious intent on the part of the doctor. Even a well-meaning care provider can make a mistake that would not generally be made by a reasonable person in their profession. If said unreasonable mistake ultimately results in avoidable harm to you, it is likely that you have a valid claim for medical malpractice. 

People tend to trust their doctors completely. We are taught from a young age that the doctor knows best and is doing everything they can to help us. Unfortunately, doctors are not always right, and they are not always careful. If you have ever had a serious concern brushed off, or found that a prescription drug caused more harm than it prevented, you are not alone - and you may have been affected by medical malpractice. Some types of malpractice have an immediate effect, so you know right away that something has gone wrong. Other forms are more insidious, sometimes taking years to become apparent. If you have been harmed by a doctor’s mistake or failure, then you may be able to recover compensation. Our attorneys can assess your case to determine whether you have grounds for a lawsuit. 

Shockingly Common Forms of Malpractice by Medical Professionals

Medical malpractice cases usually fall into one of a few categories. These common types of malpractice include: 

• Prescribing errors - Doctors should verify that the drug they are about to give their patients is safe for them. This means that they should check to see whether any of your medical conditions or current medications are contraindications for the new medication they are considering. For example, prescribing Toradol as a pain medicine to someone with a history of kidney disease can seriously harm a patient. 

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We tend to trust that when we go to the pharmacy to pick up our prescription medication, we will be given the correct prescription that is safe for us to take. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Pharmacists can make errors just like doctors and nurses can. Medication errors can have serious repercussions. Taking the wrong medication or the wrong combination of medications can cause serious reactions. People can become seriously ill or even die as a result of a pharmacy error. If your pharmacist made a mistake and you were harmed by it, you may be able to hold them liable for medical malpractice. If you believe that you have been harmed by a pharmacy mix-up, your first step should be to speak to a lawyer.

What Types of Pharmacy Errors Can Cause Harm?

It can sometimes be difficult to identify a pharmaceutical error as the source of a medical problem. More serious errors can cause sudden illness that requires emergency care, in which case it may be somewhat obvious what happened. Other errors are more insidious and can cause gradual harm over time that is not discovered until much later. Common harmful pharmacy errors include: 

• Wrong medication - This is one of the more egregious errors. When a pharmacist inadvertently gives a patient the wrong medication entirely, it can cause very serious effects. Additionally, the patient might be further harmed by not having the condition the original prescription was for appropriately treated. 

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When you seek treatment or care from a healthcare provider, you likely go into the situation trusting that the medical professional is going to prioritize you and your health. While this is often the case, there are instances in which medical professionals do not conduct themselves in ways that are safe or appropriate. 

A doctor who sees patients while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is not prioritizing the health and safety of their patients. Treating patients while intoxicated is a serious act and may lead to a medical malpractice lawsuit. If you were harmed by an intoxicated medical professional, you may be entitled to damages through a personal injury claim. 

What is Medical Malpractice? 

When a medical professional’s negligence causes a patient harm, the patient may be able to bring a medical malpractice claim against the medical professional. Medical malpractice claims invovle: