It might surprise you to learn that medical negligence is now the third-leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer. Not surprisingly, lawsuits for medical malpractice are quite common in America. According to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), nearly four billion dollars in malpractice payouts were made in 2014. Here are the top reasons injured patients hire a medical malpractice attorney.
Misdiagnosis
A large number of these lawsuits arise when doctors misdiagnose or fail to diagnose serious diseases. Because the patient can be harmed by any delay in treatment, he or she may have a valid claim if negligence can be established. To do so, an attorney must demonstrate that a competent physician would have arrived at the correct diagnosis if only he or she had followed the proper procedures. Failing to follow established medical guidelines is the most common reason these cases are decided in the plaintiff's favor.
Anesthesia Errors
Although uncommon, anesthesia errors are often more dangerous than surgical mistakes. Even a slight miscalculation by an anesthesiologist can result in serious injury, brain damage, or death. The doctor may make an error if he/she:
- Fails to examine the patient's medical history for allergies, illnesses, and other possible complications.
- Fails to give the patient preoperative instructions.
- Administers too much anesthesia during the procedure.
- Incorrectly intubates the patient.
- Uses faulty equipment.
Childbirth Injuries
When mistakes are made during childbirth, the mother or her child may sustain serious injuries. For the child, errors may result in brain damage, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, fractured bones, and other problems. For the mother, mistakes may cause fissures, infections, eclampsia, uterine issues, vaginal tears, and even wrongful death. An experienced medical malpractice attorney must complete his/her own investigation to determine if negligence was responsible for any of the aforementioned complications.
Prescription Problems
With seventy percent of Americans on one or more prescription drug, errors are inevitable. Medication mistakes can occur in a number of ways, from incorrect prescriptions to improper administration of a drug, and may cause serious problems for the patient. According to most experts, the most common mistake is improper dosage that causes the person to ingest either too little or too much of a certain medication. When this happens, the user may not get the benefits from the prescribed drug or may suffer an overdose. Either outcome may be grounds for a lawsuit.
Surgical Mistakes
As experienced as they may be, surgeons occasionally make serious errors that harm their patients. Although these errors are almost always unintentional, they are a clear sign of negligence. Puncturing an organ, leaving a surgical instrument in the body, even operating on the wrong body part are all grounds for a malpractice suit. Because those glaring blunders are difficult to defend, hospitals often settle surgical suits before they go to court.
A seasoned medical malpractice attorney can help you recover the damages you deserve if you were injured while under a doctor's care.
Source by Abraham Avotina
