Patients entrust their health, well-being, and even their lives to doctors, surgeons, nurses, hospitals, and other medical professionals. To protect patients, medical professionals are held to a high standard of care. Even a minor mistake or careless action can severely impact a patient for the rest of their life. Below we explain the most common ways that physicians and other medical professionals can make mistakes.
#1: Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis
A common mistake medical professionals make is a misdiagnosis. This is when the doctor fails to recognize clinical signs and symptoms that another qualified doctor would identify under similar circumstances. A timely and accurate diagnosis can have life or death consequences. A medical professional who is reckless with this process should be held accountable.
#2: Failure to Treat
Another common mistake medical professionals make is failure to treat patients. Doctors who release patients too soon from the hospital, fail to provide instructions for follow-up care, or fail to order appropriate medical tests can significantly impact their patient’s well-being.
#3: Surgical or Procedural Errors
Medical professionals in an operating room have a duty to prevent you from harm. Unfortunately, surgery mistakes occur often. Doctors may perform surgery on the wrong body part, leave tools, gauze, or other medical devices inside the patient, perform surgery on the wrong patient, and more.
#4: Childbirth Injuries
Childbirth injuries are another common medical negligence case that can have catastrophic results. In many cases, doctors don’t use the proper forceps, or they use excessive force to remove the baby from the birth canal. In other cases, doctors don’t perform C-sections when necessary.
#5: Prescription Drug Mistakes
Failing to prescribe a patient the proper medication can have a drastic impact on patients. Doctors who prescribe an incorrect dosage, fail to recognize dangerous drug interactions, allergic reactions, or recognize signs of addiction can lead to medical malpractice cases.
If you believe you have a medical malpractice case, contact us today at (502) 890-9954 to schedule a case review!