Medical malpractice claims may not be as common as you think but are still very serious. In addition to the potential harm to the patient’s health, these errors can lead to emotional and psychological trauma. To make matters worse, negligent medical treatment may require additional medical treatment to correct any errors.
That said, medical malpractice cases aren’t always obvious or gruesome. We’ve laid out some of the most common kinds of malpractices cases below.
Childbirth Injuries
Unfortunately, injuries in connection with childbirth are one of the most common sources of medical malpractice. Common injuries include brain injuries, nerve damage, fractured bones or torn tissues. These injuries can be quite serious and can require significant medical care and expense. Childbirth injuries typically fall into two categories: prenatal injuries and injuries that occurred during childbirth.
Prenatal injuries are those that occur while the mother is pregnant. Medical malpractice often occurs in these cases when the physician fails to properly diagnose or identify dangerous medical conditions. These conditions could include birth defects, an ectopic pregnancy, or other condition that could affect the health of the child as it develops.
A number of injuries can occur during childbirth, some of which can be the result of medical malpractice. For example, the physician may have failed to use the forceps or other devices properly, ordered a c-section when it was unnecessary, or failed to detect signs of the baby’s distress. These injuries can affect the life and health of the mother, the baby, or both.
Surgery and Anesthesia
Surgery is another source of malpractice claims. These mistakes can be quite serious and can include things like nerve damage, operating on the wrong body part, or leaving something like a sponge or a clamp inside the body.
Because anesthesia is used during surgery, there are a number of very serious mistakes that can be made. Misuse of anesthesia can lead to serious injuries and can even be fatal. Malpractice can occur when the anesthesiologist uses the wrong anesthesia or administers the wrong dose. Malpractice can also occur when the doctor fails to apprise the patient of the potential risks.
Misdiagnosis and Medication Errors
Misdiagnosis is probably the most common source of medical malpractice. When a doctor fails to properly diagnose their patient or fails to make the diagnosis in a timely fashion, the health consequences can be severe. For example, failing to properly diagnose a cancer case for even a few weeks can severely impact the patient’s health.
Prescribing the wrong medication is also common, and often goes hand-in-hand with misdiagnosis. Again, this is an error that can negatively affect the patient’s health, leading to organ damage and other possible complications.
Contact at Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
If you think you or someone in your family is the victim of medical malpractice, you should talk to a lawyer who can give you sound advice. The attorneys at Slappey & Sadd are here to help you understand your rights and get the compensation you may be entitled to receive. Call us at 404-255-6677 or email us via our online contact form in order to schedule a free consultation.