If you or someone you love is suffering as a result of a medical provider’s negligence, you might be wondering what to do when you suspect medical malpractice.
Your first consideration at this point is to reach out to a medical malpractice lawyer to see if you do, in fact, have a case.
Medical negligence can be very nuanced. So having caring and experienced attorneys on your side who understand this could be the difference between getting the justice you deserve and a lifetime of suffering for you or your loved one.
Examples of Medical Malpractice
Any medical provider including doctors, surgeons, dentists, anesthesiologists, etc. can be accused of medical negligence. The following though are among the most common types of medical malpractice:
Surgical and Anesthesia Errors
Surgical errors are the reason for many medical malpractice suits. Mistakes can range from providing inadequate care post-surgery to operating on the wrong body part or even the wrong patient.
In addition, any mistake made by an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist is also considered medical malpractice. Failing to review a patient’s medical history or improperly monitoring vital signs during surgery can cause permanent injury, brain damage, or even death.
Medication Errors
Medication errors include doctors prescribing and administering the wrong drug or dosage, as well as pharmacists misreading a prescription and providing the wrong medication. In addition, failure to check for drug allergies or interactions with existing medications can be life-threatening.
Failure to Diagnose a Serious Condition
The most frequent form of malpractice is a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a condition. Such mistakes can result in serious harm. For example, not diagnosing a fractured knee could cause a patient to lose mobility or experience chronic pain. Or if a cancer patient is not diagnosed when symptoms first appear, the disease can progress to a stage where treatment is no longer effective.
Birth Injuries
The most common type of birth injury is cerebral palsy which can be the result of a doctor or technician making a mistake during pregnancy, labor, and/or delivery. Other mistakes include improper monitoring or failing to perform a necessary C-section.
Incorrect Treatment of a Medical Condition
When a physician provides the wrong treatment or fails to provide treatment for a serious condition, there can be deadly consequences.
What To Do When You Suspect Medical Malpractice
If you feel certain that you’re the victim of one of the above-mentioned types of medical malpractices, you should also know that a malpractice attorney will look for four distinct components before moving toward a potential medical negligence lawsuit.
Duty
First, you must be able to show that the medical provider who treated you owed you a duty of care. You’ll need to gather your medical records to prove that you had a patient relationship with the provider or facility.
Dereliction
To demonstrate the provider or facility’s dereliction of duty, you must show evidence that illustrates how the provider or facility failed to provide treatment in keeping with the medical standard of care and was out of line with accepted treatment practices.
Damages
Someone making a mistake in your medical treatment does not necessarily mean you’ve been the victim of negligence. You must show that you’ve suffered some harm as a result of this mistake. For example, being given the wrong dose of medication with no harmful side effects would not give you a negligence case.
Direct Cause
Finally, you must be able to demonstrate that the harm you suffered was the direct cause of the provider’s negligence. This is often one of the most difficult components because it can be hard to establish a causal link between a provider’s negligent actions and the harm you suffered. This is why a medical malpractice lawyer is a necessity. He or she knows how to build a strong case for compensation.
Get the Justice (and the Care) That You Deserve
Now that you know what to do when you suspect medical malpractice, it’s time to seek out the experts at Kajy Law. By reading testimonials from our clients, you’ll see how we make caring a top priority.
So contact us or call us today at 877-KAJY-CARES to set up your free consultation.
And let the healing begin.