Common Causes of Medical Malpractice

We depend on doctors, nurses and others in the medical field to help us when we are sick or injured. These healthcare professionals treat our injuries and illnesses with medications, surgeries, physical therapy and other treatments.

We expect to receive a high standard of care when we visit a doctor’s office or hospital. However, that is not always the case. Doctors are human, just like the rest of us. They make mistakes too, but the main difference is that when you make a mistake at work, it probably does not injure or kill someone. When a doctor makes a mistake, it can be deadly.

This is called medical malpractice, and it is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, resulting in 250,000 fatalities every year. If you or a loved one is harmed by a doctor’s negligence, you have the right to file a lawsuit for compensation. However, winning these cases is very difficult. Seek legal help right away. Get help from an experienced medical malpractice attorney to see if you have a strong case. 

Top Causes

Medical malpractice can occur for a variety of reasons. The top cause is diagnosis issues. Misdiagnosing a patient or delaying a diagnosis is common but often fatal. This is because when a doctor fails to diagnose a disease timely, the patient is unable to get the treatment that he or she needs. The delay causes the disease to progress and can lead to a worsened condition or even death.

Childbirth injuries are also common medical errors. With women giving birth daily, you would think that doctors would know how to prevent injuries by now. Every pregnancy and birth is different, so doctors never really know what to expect. If doctors do not use vacuum suction or forceps correctly or order a C-section in a timely manner, the baby could get stuck. This could lead to broken bones, seizures, cerebral palsy and even paralysis.

Medication errors are also common. As many as 9,000 Americans die from medication errors every year. There are many ways in which a mistake can happen from the time the prescription is written to the time the patient receives the medication. The doctor may have listed the wrong dosage. The pharmacist may have filled the wrong drug. Perhaps the patient has an allergy to the drug.

Surgeons are sued most often because surgery involves a lot of risk. Surgeons may leave foreign objects inside the body. They may operate on the wrong body part or puncture an organ. Patients may also suffer injuries after surgery by contracting an infection or receiving inadequate postoperative instructions.

Get Legal Help for Florida Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice is more common than you may think. If you or a loved one was a victim, seek legal help right away to preserve your rights to compensation.

The Tampa medical malpractice attorneys at the Pawlowski//Mastrilli Law Group have 25 years of experience with medical malpractice and other injury cases. Our aggressive team can hold the doctors and hospitals responsible for their actions. Contact our office today for a free consultation. Fill out the online form or call 813-242-4404.

Resources:

mdlinx.com/internal-medicine/article/3889

patch.com/california/san-diego/10-medical-malpractice-statistics-you-should-know

Florida medical malpractice anesthesia errors