Medical malpractice cases can arise due to a broad scope of errors. If the accepted standard of care in the medical profession is not followed by a healthcare provider, a patient can suffer a severe injury or even death. If you or your loved one were the victim of medical malpractice, it’s essential to consult with an experienced medical malpractice attorney who can advise you regarding your legal rights and remedies as soon as possible.
Below are five common medical errors that can lead to a medical malpractice lawsuit:
1. Surgical Errors
Surgery is a serious matter and it’s crucial for medical professionals to follow the necessary protocol in order to prevent basic surgical mistakes. There are a wide array of surgical errors that can be made on a patient, leading to a medical malpractice lawsuit. Common errors in surgery can include:
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Leaving an instrument inside the body
- Failing to follow up after surgery
- Operating on the wrong patient
- Mislabeled surgical specimens
- Cutting a nerve during surgery
In addition, failure to follow up regarding post-operative care protocol can lead to infections or complications that could otherwise have been avoided. Such situations may give a patient grounds to file a medical malpractice claim.
2. Diagnostic Errors
Diagnostic errors, such as delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis, can worsen a patient’s condition or even result in fatality. Specifically, misdiagnosis occurs when a doctor fails to diagnose a patient correctly due to testing errors, miscommunication, inexperience, failure to spend enough time with the patient, or some other reason. Delayed diagnosis occurs when a doctor takes an unreasonably long time to identify a medical condition, preventing them from starting their course of treatment in a timely manner. These types of errors are often caused by negligence and can result in a medical malpractice claim to hold the provider responsible for the harm they caused the patient to suffer.
3. Medication Errors
One of the most common medical errors that can give rise to malpractice claims concerns medication errors. This can mean the wrong medication was prescribed, the incorrect dosage was given, or the medication’s possible side effects were not disclosed. In some cases, a doctor may not have considered a patient’s allergy or potential interactions with other medications they were on. In the event a doctor made a medication error that resulted in an adverse outcome, they may be held liable for malpractice.
4. Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors can occur during the administration of anesthesia, resulting in serious harm to a patient — and such mistakes may be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. For instance, an overdose or underdose of anesthesia can result in complications. Errors involving anesthesia can also be caused by failure to monitor a patient, delayed administration, improper intubation, or failure to provide the patient with post-anesthesia care. Consequences of anesthesia errors can include brain damage, respiratory failure, or fatality.
5. Unnecessary Operations
An unnecessary operation refers to a surgical procedure performed on a patient that was not medically justified, resulting in harm. Unnecessary can include cardiac surgeries, spinal surgeries, gallbladder removal, knee replacements, and many other types of surgery. In many situations, a patient who was injured due to an unnecessary operation may be able to hold a doctor accountable for medical malpractice.
Contact an Experienced New York Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you have been harmed as a result of medical malpractice, it’s critical to have an attorney who can help ensure the negligent medical provider is held to answer for their wrongdoing. The Edelsteins, Faegenburg & Brown, LLP is a New York personal injury firm that has been advocating for the victims of medical malpractice since 1937. Handling every case with proficiency and skill, we have earned a well-deserved reputation among our clients and colleagues for obtaining substantial settlements and verdicts. Contact us to schedule a free consultation at (212) 425-1999 today.