Medical Errors That Often Lead To Malpractice Lawsuits

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to deliver proper care, take necessary actions, or provide standard treatment, resulting in harm, injury, or even death to a patient. This negligence often involves a medical error. Patients trust doctors with their lives, and when medical errors happen, this can not only devastate families but lead to medical malpractice lawsuits. Below, we discuss common medical errors that can result in Florida medical malpractice lawsuits.

Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis

According to a report by CBS News, around 12 million people in outpatient care are misdiagnosed each year. These medical errors often happen because many illnesses share similar symptoms, and rare symptoms can be challenging to identify. Getting the correct diagnosis is crucial, but when a diagnosis is delayed, wrong, or missed altogether, patients may not get the care they need, which can lead to serious harm or even death.

Surgical Errors

Even the most experienced surgeons can make surgical errors during surgery. When a surgeon makes a mistake, the cost of that mistake in equity should not be borne by the patient, but by the responsible surgeon. Experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Gunn Law Group are here to help balance these scales and obtain the recovery patients deserve. Some surgical mistakes are “never events,” meaning they are errors that should not happen. Typical surgical errors include:

• Operating on the wrong body part
• Performing the wrong procedure
• Leaving foreign objects in the patient’s body
• Operating on the wrong patient
• Neglecting to follow post-operative procedures
• Failing to instruct the patient appropriately for postoperative recovery

Birth Injuries

Childbirth errors can significantly affect the mother and baby and can happen at any stage, from pregnancy to the postpartum stage. While complications are common, skilled doctors are typically trained to anticipate and manage them. When a healthcare provider fails to prepare for these challenges or delivers substandard care that causes harm to the mother or child, it may lead to a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Medication Errors

Another common medical error is when a doctor prescribes the wrong medication or dosage or gives the wrong instructions on administering medicine. This can lead to severe complications, giving rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Failure To Obtain Informed Consent

If a patient undergoes a medical procedure without giving informed consent, the doctor or healthcare provider may be held responsible for any harm or injury caused, even if the procedure itself was performed flawlessly.

When Is a Medical Error Medical Malpractice?

If you are harmed due to medical negligence, you may seek compensation by filing a medical lawsuit. However, there are specific criteria that you must meet to proceed. First, you need to file the lawsuit within the statute of limitations. In Florida, you must file a medical malpractice lawsuit within two years to receive compensation. Additionally, you must prove several factors to qualify your case as medical malpractice:

• Failure to meet the standard of care: If your healthcare provider fails to meet the appropriate standard of care, this can lead to accusations of negligence
• Injury caused by negligence: It’s not enough to claim negligence; you must show that it directly caused harm or injury that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise.
• Damaging consequences from the injury: The harm caused must have led to substantial damages, such as:
  • Physical suffering
  • Medical expenses
  • Long-term hardship
  • Chronic pain
  • Significant loss of income
  • Disability

Contact Gunn Law Group P.A. Today

If you have questions about whether your situation qualifies for a medical malpractice claim, our experienced Tampa medical malpractice lawyer can thoroughly review your case and advise accordingly. Contact Gunn Law Group P.A. today at 813-228-7070 to discuss your case.

Source:

cbsnews.com/news/12-million-americans-misdiagnosed-each-year-study-says/