Six Common Categories of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is one of the most common types of medical malpractice involves misdiagnosis. As the name suggests, misdiagnosis is when a doctor makes a diagnosis that is not in line with the patient’s symptoms. Instead, doctors use a process of elimination to narrow down the possibilities and order tests to find clues about a patient’s body.
Misdiagnosis in medical malpractice
This can result in inadequate treatment, allowing the disease to progress or leading to further damage. A doctor must recognize when to refer a patient to a specialist and order the appropriate tests. If this is not done, the doctor can be held liable.
Patients should always feel comfortable asking questions to a doctor. A good doctor will listen to their concerns and provide accurate information. It is also essential to get everything in writing. Most medical malpractice cases are caused by a communication breakdown between a doctor and a patient.
Failure to treat
A failure to treat a case occurs when a medical professional fails to provide adequate care to a patient. This may be due to several factors, such as overtreatment, poor diagnosis, or the need to boost profits at the expense of patient safety. It may also be due to the physician not following up with the patient or not referring them to a specialist when they should have. In any of these cases, the patient is at risk for serious harm due to the medical professional’s negligence.
A failure to diagnose is a common cause of malpractice—a doctor’s misdiagnosis results in improper or no treatment. Misdiagnosis can be a life-threatening problem or result in the patient suffering irreversible damage. Other common malpractice claims include delayed diagnoses. In these cases, a physician incorrectly diagnoses a patient, allowing the condition to worsen. The patient can suffer permanent damage because of inadequate treatment.
Prescription drug errors
Prescription drug errors can occur when the wrong drug is prescribed, the wrong dosage is given, or the wrong regimen is followed. These errors can also happen because the doctor or nurse does not properly identify the patient. Luckily, many medication errors can be prevented by observing the process and identifying potential mistakes before they occur.
Prescription drug errors can cause minor problems or even life-threatening consequences. For example, a prescription drug error can lead to a rash from an allergic reaction, paralysis, or even brain damage. If you think you have been given the wrong medication, you should immediately contact the pharmacy and physician. You might be eligible for compensation if the physician or pharmacist was negligent if given the lousy medicine.
Unnecessary treatment in medical malpractice
Medical malpractice happens when a healthcare provider fails to uphold a standard of care. A measure of care is the level of care that a competent medical practitioner would provide in a particular situation. This standard of care can differ depending on the situation. For example, if a doctor fails to treat a patient appropriately or diagnose a condition correctly, this is malpractice.
During surgery, doctors sometimes perform procedures that are not necessary. This can cause emotional distress and financial strain for a patient. In addition, understaffed health care facilities can result in malpractice. In these cases, physicians fail to provide patients with proper care and may perform unnecessary procedures.
Failure to diagnose
In cases where a physician fails to diagnose a condition, they can be held liable for malpractice. This can include failure to order specific diagnostic tests or failing to interpret imaging scans. Patients can suffer life-threatening complications if they are misdiagnosed or receive inappropriate treatment. Medical malpractice may also occur because a physician prioritizes profit over patient safety. For example, a doctor may treat too many patients without adequately examining them and not provide the follow-up care needed to prevent the recurrence of the condition.
The first step in pursuing a failure to diagnose a malpractice case is identifying the cause of the malpractice. Although the circumstances in each case are unique, many patients and doctors expect their doctors to assess their health and investigate new symptoms properly. If a physician cannot diagnose a disease properly, patients can suffer painful treatments, loss of breasts, or even death. Unfortunately, the health care system expects failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, or delay in diagnosis. This can be devastating and frustrating for the victims. Fortunately, the Sokolove Law team has experience helping victims of the failure to diagnose malpractice.
Birth injuries in medical malpractice
Birth injuries can occur before, during, and even after childbirth. They may cause severe and long-lasting damage to both the mother and child. Moreover, birth injuries are often costly. Doctors have a duty of care to expectant mothers, and their negligence can result in serious harm. Some birth injuries are irreversible, and the mother may never recover from the consequences of the doctor’s carelessness.
As a result, many victims of birth injuries are entitled to compensation for the medical costs associated with them. The payment can cover assistive devices, loss of revenue, therapy, and medical expenses. In some cases, it can also include transportation modifications and financial assistance for the child’s special education programs.
