Everyone has faith in medical professionals to take care of them when they need medical attention. Doctors need to meet a standard of care to provide their patients with safe care. When they fail to meet that standard, patients suffer. But what does that failure look like?
Medical malpractice cases can settle for hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. While these cases can provide substantial income for victims and their families, a victim first needs to recognize that medical malpractice has happened.
Common causes of medical malpractice
There are many ways for doctors and medical staff to make a mistake that injures a patient. These are only a few errors that can happen in a hospital:
- Prescription errors – an extra zero on a prescription pad can turn a “50mg” to “500mg”. This difference can be enough to kill a patient who might not be able to recognize the error.
- Surgical errors – even a minor mistake can result in severed arteries or muscles. These injuries can quickly turn into a permanent consequence or wrongful death.
- Informed consent – for a doctor to proceed with a medical service, the patient or their family usually need to consent to the service. To earn consent, a doctor needs to explain what they intend to do and the consequences and side effects.
- Anesthesia errors – if a patient receives too much or too little anesthesia during surgery, it can result in permanent injuries, like brain damage or nerve failure.
- Birth injuries – there are many ways in which an infant delivery team might accidentally injure a child. These injuries can result in cerebral palsy, seizures, and paralysis.
It only takes a moment of neglect for a doctor or medical professional to injure a patient for life. Victims have the right to hold their doctors accountable for their mistakes.
Protecting your future
If you believe that you or a loved one were the victims of medical malpractice, contact an attorney immediately. Lawyers can review a situation to determine if their client was the victim of medical malpractice, and help them pursue compensation.
If the question of whether medical malpractice occurred arises, do not let it linger. Act to secure justice after a doctor has wronged you or your loved ones.