Doctor Errors

The U.S. is currently undergoing a drug shortage due to supply issues that affect how pharmacies are preparing and/or dispensing drug products for patients. This generally occurs when prescribers need to use an alternative drug of a similar agent.

In 1998, a famous comedian called Dana Carvey, made the difficult decision to undergo a double bypass surgery to clear a blocked artery – a decision that he would later come to regret.

According to Carvey, his family has a history of high cholesterol, and he had previously undergone three unsuccessful angioplasties in 1997 to try and alleviate the problems he had been experiencing from the complications that this had caused. In Carvey’s own words, “doctors convinced [him] that surgery was an effective way to resolve the recurring blockage of [his] arteries,” and he decided to undergo open-heart surgery so that he could continue with his life and career unimpeded.

In 2013, a Miami Gardens family was awarded $33.8 million in damages in a medical malpractice lawsuit against a doctor and a nurse whose actions led to their newborn baby boy suffering irreversible brain damage.

The incident occurred in the Jessie Trice Community Health Center when Marla Dixon, who was 19 years old at the time, was denied a Cesarean section by Dr. Ata Atogho and an assisting nurse despite her unborn child having a slowed heart rate. According to reports, Dr. Atogho did not acknowledge this slowed heart rate and left Dixon in order to conduct another delivery. Worse, he was seen speaking on his cellphone throughout the ordeal.

In 2008, the Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, AZ, experienced a “never event” due to a doctor error that prompted a medical malpractice lawsuit. 

Kerry Higuera was three months pregnant when she erroneously underwent a CT scan meant for another patient. She went to the hospital’s ER after experiencing bleeding and was surprised when a nurse came to the waiting room and told her that her doctor wanted a CT scan to be done. Kerry states that she questioned the decision, but the nurse reiterated that the doctor wanted an abdominal and pelvic CT scan conducted.

There are many causes of medical errors, something which is defined as a preventable adverse effect of medical care, whether it is evidently harmful to you or not.

Many people have suffered greatly due to medical errors. Some of these errors have occurred because there have been numerous factors involved, however, many of these errors have occurred because of medical malpractice and medical negligence and are thus viable cases for medical malpractice lawsuits.

As with general medical errors, a doctor error is a preventable adverse effect of care that you suffer at the hands of your doctor which causes you harm. Unlike a general medical error, which can be caused by various healthcare professionals and associated personnel, doctor errors are specific to your treating doctor.

Some doctor errors are more common than others. The following errors are commonly featured in various medical malpractice lawsuits, and it is important that you are aware of these common doctor errors so that you can help ensure that they do not happen to you.