There are many different reasons that medical malpractice takes place. Most of them constitute negligence on the part of the physician and involve the following:
There are many different reasons that medical malpractice takes place. Most of them constitute negligence on the part of the physician and involve the following:
- negligence affecting childbirth and pregnancy
- misdiagnosis
- surgical errors
- mistakes in administering or prescribing medication
Negligence Affecting Childbirth and Pregnancy
There are many things that may go wrong where pregnancy and childbirth is concerned such as:
- Unexplained and excessive vaginal bleeding
- Placental abnormalities
- Gestational diabetes
- Long labor which cause injury to the mother and baby
- Pre-eclampsia
- Excessive hemorrhage during pregnancy or labor
- Surgical negligence during a C-section
- Negligence while administering anesthesia
- Premature babies
- Nerve injury of the baby during labor
Medical malpractice even where pregnancy is concerned, is due to negligence and a patient can only win a medical malpractice lawsuit if they are able to prove that the physician was negligent.
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis is one of the most common physician errors which takes place most commonly with masses or tumors in the body, infections, heart attack, heart disease, or blood clots. Due to the fact that patients do not have textbook symptoms, misdiagnosis might occur, leading to a medical malpractice lawsuit. Misdiagnosis can have life-threatening consequences, if the symptoms have pointed to the wrong problem.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are some of the most common forms of medical malpractice. Among the most common ones are failing to control bleeding, damaging a nerve, and leaving a foreign body (like a medical sponge) inside the patient’s body. There are times when surgeons have performed an operation on the wrong part of the body that wasn’t affected. Some of the most common areas for surgical error are the spine and the gastrointestinal tract.
Usually, when the patient is administered too little, too much or the wrong type of anesthesia, it may mead to medical malpractice. The amount of anesthesia administered to a patient during a surgery varies. To avoid putting too much pressure on specific parts of the body, patients have to be periodically moved during certain types of surgery. It is the duty of the anesthesiologist to move the patient. Long back surgeries, in which the patient is lying on their stomach, may cause blindness. If the patient isn’t moved and is left in one position, it may put pressure on the optic nerve, leading to blindness.
Mistakes in Administering and Prescribing Prescription Drugs
It is common to see medical malpractice associated with the maladministration of medication. Administering too much, too little or the wrong kind of medication might lead to medication errors, which thereby lead to medical malpractice. This can also be caused if the physician has prescribed the wrong medication or the wrong amount or dosage.
The best way to handle medical malpractice cases is if you hire the services of a qualified and experienced medical malpractice lawyer who can take care of all the details and responsibilities of the case for you and will ensure that you receive a settlement that you deserve.
