Experienced personal injury lawyers have on many occasions proven that health care professional owe a heightened duty of care to their patients, having particular knowledge in their individual areas of practice. If health care practitioners deviate from this standard and their actions leads to a patient injury, the practitioner may be found professionally negligent and having committed an act of medical malpractice.
According to the Journal of Patient Safety, medical malpractice is a leading cause of death in the US with estimated figures of between 200,000 and 400,000 deaths annually. Among so many medical malpractice events happening in hospitals and other medical environments, seeking help from a Phoenix personal injury lawyercan be essential to protecting your rights. The following are five common errors leading to medical malpractice claims:
1. Diagnostic errors
Wrong diagnosis means a patient will not receive treatment for the proper condition. It also means the wrong treatment may further damage the patient. Diagnostic errors have led to many preventable deaths and permanent disabilities.
2. Surgical errors
Although a patient’s signing the go-ahead surgery document has already attested to knowing the risks involved in a surgical operation, this does not entirely absolve the professionals or personnel of preventable errors. Inadequately sterilized surgical instruments, leaving sponges behind, or any act that fails to meet standard practice by the surgeon or support staff may lead to a claim.
3. Medication errors
Medication errors may include both mixed up prescriptions given to the wrong patient, or incorrect dosage of the correct medication. Both of these can lead to serious results.
4. Birth injury errors
The birth injury might result from prolonged labor, improper use of forceps, breech delivery, or lack of oxygen. While some injuries are not considered serious, others can lead to the child becoming permanently disabled with a significant financial burden on the child and family.
5. Failure to treat errors
When a doctor misdiagnoses a patient’s disease, often an unnecessary treatment will be recommended and enacted. When a medical professional fails to apply the standard of care for a given condition and fail to treat the actual condition, a claim may be necessary to recover damages.
How do you make claim for medical malpractice?
Engage a competent injury lawyer to help prove your case. The burden of proof is on the claimant to prove negligence in handling your care and prove the harm suffered is a result of that negligence. A personal injury lawyer can assist you in the complex legal details and requirements to establish your claim that medical personnel failed to meet the standard of care required in your treatment and help you with recovering for your injury and loss.
Thanks to Alex & Associates, P.C. for their insight into medical malpractice.