4 Common Types of Medical Malpractice to Watch Out For

 Posted on August 12, 2022 in Medical Malpractice

People tend to trust their doctors completely. We are taught from a young age that the doctor knows best and is doing everything they can to help us. Unfortunately, doctors are not always right, and they are not always careful. If you have ever had a serious concern brushed off, or found that a prescription drug caused more harm than it prevented, you are not alone - and you may have been affected by medical malpractice. Some types of malpractice have an immediate effect, so you know right away that something has gone wrong. Other forms are more insidious, sometimes taking years to become apparent. If you have been harmed by a doctor’s mistake or failure, then you may be able to recover compensation. Our attorneys can assess your case to determine whether you have grounds for a lawsuit. 

Shockingly Common Forms of Malpractice by Medical Professionals

Medical malpractice cases usually fall into one of a few categories. These common types of malpractice include: 

• Prescribing errors - Doctors should verify that the drug they are about to give their patients is safe for them. This means that they should check to see whether any of your medical conditions or current medications are contraindications for the new medication they are considering. For example, prescribing Toradol as a pain medicine to someone with a history of kidney disease can seriously harm a patient. 

• Missed or delayed diagnosis - When you come to your doctor with a new concern, they should take it seriously and order any appropriate testing. Handwaving away a patient’s concerns rather than investigating could result in a doctor missing an important diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis could mean that by the time anyone knows what is wrong, permanent damage has already been done. 

• Surgical mistakes - Leaving a foreign object inside a patient’s body, removing the wrong body part, introducing infection, and causing unintentional internal damage are all surgical mistakes that could rise to the level of malpractice. 

• Childbirth errors - Birth injuries can change the course of your baby’s life. Doctors should be monitoring the birthing process continuously so they can act quickly if something begins to go wrong. For example, failing to perform a c-section when it becomes clear that vaginal birth is too risky can cause harm to both mother and baby. 

Doctors should be there to help people with their health issues. If your doctor has made your health issues worse instead, you may have been harmed by malpractice - and you could have a case. 

Contact a Cook County Medical Malpractice Attorney

Adler Law Offices, LTD is skilled at pursuing compensation for medical malpractice for patients who have been harmed by a negligent doctor. Our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers will help you gather the evidence you need to show that your doctor has done the opposite of healing you. Call 312-236-2700 for a free consultation. 

Source: 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248175