8 Common Reasons For Medical Negligence

When you’re sick or injured, you typically go to a medical professional thinking that they can heal you, not harm you. However, not everything will go as planned, and there’s a chance that a person may find themselves suffering from a mistake caused by a medical professional.

Medical negligence remains a problem everywhere. Despite the advancement of medical standards and technology, mistakes can still happen, which usually come with significant consequences, such as death.

Medical Negligence: What Is It?

Medical negligence can be defined as an act, or the failure to act, by a medical professional that differs from the standard medical care. In other words, if a nurse, doctor, or any health professional failed to meet the standard care, they can be held liable for any damages, such as further injuries or death. If you think you or a family member is a victim of medical industry errors or medical negligence, don’t hesitate to seek legal help. 

Common Reasons For Medical Negligence

Medical negligence is said to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States, together with cancer and heart disease. There are multiple reasons for medical negligence, and some of them are the following:

• Delay in diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or failure to diagnose – Many screening mammograms give false-negative results in breast cancer sufferers. If a doctor fails to follow up appropriately on these false-negative results, it can be harmful to their patients. 

• Failure to acquire informed consent – A medical mistake is committed if a patient isn’t completely informed of the possible risks, expected outcomes, and reasonable substitutes to the recommended method of the doctor, which may cause harm to the patient. 

• Negligent misdiagnosis, and incorrect diagnosis of trauma or fracture – If a doctor assumes that a fracture or illness is minor without requesting for diagnostic tests or additional x-rays, they can be held liable for medical malpractice injury claims. Depending on the fracture location, if a doctor fails to follow through, a patient can suffer consequences, such as loss of a limb. 

• Surgical errors or negligent procedures – Sometimes, if a medical professional is mentally disturbed or physically exhausted, this can, sometimes, result in medical malpractice. Because of stress or sleep deprivation, a doctor may commit surgical errors and other mistakes. 

• Diagnosis delay or failure to refer in time – If the doctor fails to make a referral, whether for a course of treatment or a specialist, which results in adverse reactions to the patient, then this is considered medical negligence. 

• Negligent maternity care or birth injury malpractice – Some birth defects arise due to too much use of oxytocin, specifically if a baby is in distress and a doctor fails to check the patient’s medical history if the primary health provider isn’t available. 

• Medication mistakes or malpractice due to negligent drug treatment – This is a very common medical mistake and can happen not only in hospitals or hospice cares but also when giving prescription medicine. For instance, a doctor’s poor handwriting on the prescription may be followed by a misinterpretation from a pharmacist.

• Anesthesia errors – If a doctor gives too little or too much anesthesia prior to surgery, which can be harmful to a patient, then the doctor can be held liable for any damages incurred by the mistake. Another mistake is the inability of the medical professional to check your vital signs during the surgery. Sometimes, a doctor may also mistakenly use a drug to which a patient may be allergic.

What To Do If You’re A Victim?

People who’ve had injuries or families of victims who died due to medical negligence have the right to file a lawsuit. However, it can be difficult to prove medical negligence, especially when a hospital or doctor is involved. Also, it’s worth noting that medical negligence can only be applied to trained and licensed healthcare providers. 

If you suspect medical negligence, avoid talking about it online. Lawyers today are good at gathering social media posts that they can easily use against other parties. If you need to talk about the experience you had, you can get a therapist. 

What you want to do is to get a medical malpractice lawyer fast. You want someone who specializes in this kind of law to ensure that you file the case correctly. The moment you suspect medical negligence, seek legal help right away. 

Final Thoughts

It’s essential to immediately recognize medical negligence and act on it right away. In choosing a medical malpractice lawyer, do your research carefully. Find someone who has proven experience in handling this kind of legal work, as well as avoid posting about it online or contacting the hospital involved to avoid any complications. Allow your chosen attorney to handle the case.