Medical malpractice cases, while they don’t happen all that often, are very serious. Those resulting injuries can cause lifelong injuries, mental issues, and pain. So, in the case that you’ve been victim of a medical malpractice— it’s important to seek out a lawsuit. While your motive might not be money, it is important that you are not left paying for an injury you did not cause. Not to mention, any doctor who causes wrongful suffering to their patient— should have to answer for their mistake. While a medical malpractice can happen during any surgery, and in any way, there are a few common errors that typically result in a case.
Common Causes for Medical Malpractice Cases
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors make up for about 1/3 of all medical malpractice cases. A surgical error can be anything from nerve damage, unsanitary tools, tools left in the body, operating on the wrong person, or even false amputation. A surgical error could be something preventable, intentional, or just a bad outcome. It is tough to say on some, and on others— it is downright negligent.
Anesthesia Issues
Anesthesia related issues are another issue that can occur if the anesthesiologist isn’t careful with their medication choice or dosing. Maybe the patient has a medical condition that rules out one medicine, slows their heart rate— anything. Medicine affects people in different ways, and sometimes— there might be an unexpected reaction. However, that is rare. But, recognizing issues, changes, and related issues, is necessary to safe surgery.
Medication Mishaps
Prescribing the wrong medication can have serious side effects. But, on the flip side, they could prescribe the right medication. However, they have misdiagnosed the illness. Therefore, medication mishaps can occur all too often. What’s serious about this, is when that medication error leads to complications. Maybe the dosage is too high, and results in trauma. Maybe the dosage is too low and the problem worsens more quickly. Or, maybe— it’s the wrong medicine altogether and causes issues that were otherwise nonexistent.
Wrongful Diagnosis
Lastly, and most common, is bad diagnosis. If you fail to diagnose properly, especially when the actual illness is serious, the result can be life-changing. The tough part comes when there’s no test or sure fire way of knowing what someone has. A doctor has to take the side effects they know of, and make the best call. But, when that call is wrong and results in death or life-altering injury, a claim is likely.