When most of us go to the doctor, we take confidence in knowing that we are about to be cared for by a professional with our best interests in mind. Fortunately, this is usually exactly what happens. However, sometimes doctors make mistakes. Obviously, if they do, patients are the ones who end up paying. This is when it becomes necessary to seek legal advice regarding medical malpractice. There is no reason you should suffer further because of any medical professional’s error. For a better idea of what could occur, let’s look at some common examples now.
Injuries during Birth
Even with an experienced doctor and a mother who has had children before, the process of birth can be a bit chaotic, to say the least. This is why some medical professionals often revert to extreme measures or using various tools to help the baby through the birthing canal. Even without these added variables, birthing requires the proper usage of oxygen, and sometimes other chemicals too.
If extreme or improper steps are taken, the baby can end up suffering from brain damage, Erb’s palsy, and/or cerebral palsy. Sometimes, tragically, the newborn actually dies during the birthing process.
Anesthesia Errors
Any invasive operation is going to require anesthesia. It’s the only way to ensure the patient doesn’t awaken during an otherwise painful process. Anesthesiologists go through years of training just to learn how to administer their medicine properly.
There is an art involved in the science of treating patients with anesthesiology. If done incorrectly, the patient is going to suffer tremendously and the operation will most likely be a failure. Whether the medicine was applied incorrectly or the anesthesiologist neglected to ask about allergies beforehand, these mistakes, and many more, would constitute a medical malpractice suit.
Defective Medicine
At some time or another, most of us will need a prescription. Many people take prescription meds every day. Whatever the case, people need to trust that their medication will work correctly, exactly as the doctor or drug company said.
Medical malpractice suits involving medicine can involve one or two parties. If the doctor prescribed medicine incorrectly, they could be to blame. Amongst other things, they need to check to be sure the medicine won’t cause any complications. A pharmacist might also be to blame for providing the wrong prescription or not checking for drug interactions.
The drug manufacturer could be to blame, as well. Just like in product liability suits, they may have simply put out a bad product.
Failure to Diagnose
Sometimes, medical malpractice suits occur because a doctor failed to properly diagnose a problem. For whatever reason, they didn’t see the signs or symptoms that pointed to a diagnosis. This can cause huge problems for the patient. Other times, doctors diagnose them with something, but they are incorrect. Either way, the patient is most likely going to suffer more than they otherwise would have with their ailment. Sometimes, this mistake turns out to be a fatal one.
There are several other types of medical malpractice examples we could list here as well. The most important takeaway, though, is that if you think a doctor or other medical professional made a mistake, speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.
If you feel as if you’ve been a victim of medical malpractice, contact us today. We’re here to help.
