Negligence is an element of personal injury law that must be shown to exist if you want to win a case. Since medical malpractice falls under the personal injury umbrella, negligence must exist. If a medical provider or facility makes a preventable mistake, it may worsen your condition or even create a new one. Discover some of the most common examples of medical malpractice by reading through this piece.
A Late Diagnosis
When you see the doctor for an issue, it may take a few visits and rounds of testing before getting a diagnosis. Part of this is because signs and symptoms often overlap between conditions. For example, nausea, dizziness and exhaustion may lead to a whole host of infections and conditions. It is up to the doctor to push forward with further testing, eliminating possibilities to reach the proper diagnosis. However, when this does not happen and testing is stopped before a conclusion is reached, you may find yourself growing sicker with no guidance or help from your medical provider. You may visit another doctor who diagnoses you with something more advanced. A delayed, missed or failed diagnosis may be malpractice if the doctor did not exhaust every avenue. If you believe that this has occurred to you then it may be time to seek out legal counsel.
Delayed Intervention
The emergency room can be full at all hours of the day and night. People sometimes go to the ER to seek treatment for mild conditions simply due to a lack of access to regular medical care. Most often, a visit to the ER means your physical condition requires immediate action. When you get there, you may have to wait either in the lobby or in a treatment area. If your condition worsens while you wait, you may suffer a catastrophic medical event. Delayed intervention may be considered malpractice if your signs and symptoms were ignored or missed. One of the most serious consequences of delayed intervention is a birth injury. A failure to perform an emergency cesarean section on a mother who is in distress may result in oxygen deprivation to the baby.
Wrong Medication
Medication is administered in medical facilities for various conditions. When you first present your medical condition and give your medical history, you also should give your list of drug allergies if there are any. Sometimes, however, these allergies do not get charted. This may result in a severe reaction or interaction with other medications. If the wrong medication is dispensed, it may even result in death or severe side effects.
Medical mistakes may add up to catastrophic consequences or even in some cases, death. If you feel like you have been the victim of medical malpractice, you may want to consult with a medical malpractice lawyer for assistance. A firm like Hall-Justice can assist with holding the medical clinic or professionals accountable for their adverse actions. They also can help with the financial portion of the claim.