Did I Suffer From Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice is a costly mistake that can have lifelong consequences for you or your loved ones. When such an error happens in a hospital, medical staff may never alert a victim of what happened. For a victim of medical malpractice to pursue compensation to recover, they first need to be aware of the mistake. So, what does medical malpractice look like?

Medical malpractice is more common than you might expect. These errors are the third-leading cause of death in the United States. There are many different ways for medical malpractice to take place that you may have never considered.

Surgical errors

Surgery has a lot of room for failure. A surgeon can accidentally injure another part of the body like an artery or muscle. A patient may receive surgery meant for another patient. The medical staff must be sure that they are performing the correct surgery in the safest manner.

Anesthesia errors

The surgeon is not the only person who could be responsible for a significant mistake in the surgery room. If a patient receives too much anesthesia, they can suffer permanent nerve damage, coma, stroke, or death. With too little anesthesia, a patient can wake up during surgery and experience extreme pain, and in the panic, may suffer severe injuries from the surgery.

Prescription errors

Pharmaceuticals can have a significant influence on a person. If a patient receives the wrong prescription or the wrong amount, it can make a condition worse, or suffer catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. The medical staff needs to ensure the medication a patient receives is the correct amount; otherwise, it can cost a patient dearly.

Diagnosis errors

If a doctor confuses one illness or injury for another, their patient may have to wait longer than necessary to receive the treatment they need to protect their health. 

Faulty testing equipment can also keep a doctor from recognizing the actual ailment a victim is experiencing. The longer a patient waits for an accurate diagnosis, the more time their condition has to get worse.

Defend your best interests

It is easy for patients to feel powerless about holding hospitals accountable for medical malpractice. With the help of a personal injury attorney, the victim of medical malpractice can fight to correct the wrongs against them.