The Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice Claims
We put an enormous amount of trust in our doctors and in most cases, that trust is repaid with thorough and careful treatment. Sadly, this is not always true and an alarming number of people pay the price for the negligent or reckless conduct of medical professionals across the country. Fortunately, victims of this type of negligence often have the option of seeking compensation from the at-fault party by filing a medical malpractice claim in court.
Determining what types of mistakes qualify as medical malpractice can be complicated. There are, however, a few types of errors that almost always support this kind of claim, including misdiagnosis, medication errors, and causing injuries to a mother or child during pregnancy or delivery. For help determining whether you have a legitimate claim against a medical professional, please contact an experienced Florida medical malpractice lawyer today.
Misdiagnosis
Of the many types of errors that doctors can make, some of the most common and most serious involve misdiagnosis, which includes:
- A failure to diagnose;
- An incorrect diagnosis; or
- A delayed diagnosis.
Diagnosing someone with the wrong condition does not automatically constitute medical malpractice, as some diseases are notoriously difficult to identify, while certain types of symptoms could be indicative of a wide range of illnesses. If, however, a physician should have been able to discern a condition through the application of reliable tests, examinations, and patient histories, but failed to do so, he or she could be held liable for medical negligence. Although misdiagnosing a minor illness could have little effect on a person’s life, failing to diagnose, or diagnosing certain conditions too late, could have devastating consequences. In some tragic situations, patients completely miss their window of opportunity for obtaining treatment due to these mistakes.
Medication Errors
Even when a physician has properly diagnosed a person with a specific condition, that individual could still have a medical malpractice claim if the doctor committed a medication error, and in so doing, caused the patient to suffer an injury. Deciding what types of medications to prescribe a patient can be complicated and so requires strict adherence to medical standards, a thorough understanding of pharmacology, and a careful attention to each patient’s medical history. Failing to use this level of care can have serious consequences, resulting in:
- The administration of the incorrect medication;
- The administration of the wrong dosage of medication; or
- A failure to warn patients about a medication’s side effects.
In all of these situations, the prescribing doctor or pharmacist could find themselves being held liable for resulting injuries.
Injuries Sustained During Childbirth and Pregnancy
Childbirth and pregnancy-related injuries also form the basis of many medical malpractice claims when those injuries were the result of a physician’s failure to use reasonable care in treating the mother or child. Preventable injuries could occur due to a failure to control a mother’s blood loss during delivery, failing to monitor a baby’s oxygen levels, or failing to recognize serious birth defects. These types of errors can have lifelong consequences for both mother and child, and in some tragic cases, can even result in death.
Schedule a Free Case Review Today
For help with your own medical malpractice claim, please contact the dedicated Fort Lauderdale medical malpractice attorneys at Boone & Davis today. We can be reached at 954-566-9919 or via online message, so please don’t hesitate to call or contact us online at your earliest convenience.
