When there is any deviation from the medical practitioner’s set ethical medical standards and practices, it results in medical malpractice. Some reasons behind these cases may be more frequent than the others. Here are some of the most common claims of medical malpractice.
- Failure to treat
- Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis
- Procedural or surgical errors.
- Prescription drug errors.
- Childbirth complications and injuries.
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is one of the most common reasons for a medical malpractice case. Late or incorrect diagnosis may result in the patient not getting timely treatment or unnecessary treatments, failing to improve the patient’s condition. When a physician fails to-
- Seek additional information or order medical testing.
- Recognize clinical symptoms and signs.
- Refer the patient to a specialist,
- Lost test results.
- Mislabeled test results.
- Errors when evaluating data or conducting a test.
An accurate and timely diagnosis can help save a patient’s life, and if a doctor fails to fulfill his duty and is reckless, he should be held accountable.
Failure to Treat the Patient
Suppose a doctor fails to treat the patient resulting in a violation of standards of care which has to be given by the medical caregiver when taking on patients. In that case, it is a case of gross medical negligence. It is also one of the causes of malpractice claims.
Treatment failure examples-
- Fail to provide follow-up care instructions.
- Release a patient earlier than required from the hospital.
- Fail to order suitable medical tests.
- Neglect to consider the medical history of a patient when prescribing treatment or medicine.
Often, a doctor’s failure to treat may even be caused due to caring for more patients than they can suitably handle. It requires a professional like Miami medical malpractice attorneys to determine the exact reason.
Prescription Drug errors
Often, medical professionals also make mistakes related to prescription drug errors. It can result in loss of life, internal body damage, or allergic reactions. Some errors are-
- Prescribing incorrect dosage, which can be too much or too little.
- Prescribing the wrong medicine for a correctly diagnosed condition.
- Failing to recognize signs of abuse, addiction, overdose, etc., results in greater health risks.
- Failing to recognize allergic reactions or dangerous drug interactions.
Procedural or Surgical Errors
In this type of medical errors, the doctor performing surgery on the patient fails to prevent the patient from harm due to certain mistakes or errors. These errors could be-
- Performing surgery on the wrong patient.
- Performing wrong surgery or on the wrong body part.
- Reactions to anesthesia.
- Gauze, tools, or any other medical device left inside the patient.
- Fails to follow accepted medical procedures after, during, or before surgery.
Any healthcare professional, including a nurse or a doctor, may commit such mistakes and face medical malpractice cases.
Besides the reasons mentioned above, there may also be complications or errors during childbirth resulting in an injury to the baby or mother. The medical professional may have to face medical malpractice cases in such a situation.
It is imperative to hire a seasoned and experienced Miami medical malpractice attorney who can guide and build a stronger case.
