Medical malpractice, while a touchy subject for some, is a lot more common than you’d think. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), medical negligence is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. —this follows closely behind heart disease and cancer. Even more alarming, in 2012, over $3 billion was spent in medical malpractice payouts, averaging one payout every 43 minutes.
It may not seem like medical malpractice cases happen that often because they are oftentimes kept under wraps for obvious reasons. Healthcare providers don’t want to scare patients off, and people involved in lawsuits typically can’t talk about them until the lawsuit is over.
There are many types of medical malpractice that we deal with at Lyndsay Markley Law:
Misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis
Misdiagnosis is when a doctor diagnoses the wrong condition, or misses an obvious condition in which the correct treatment would have saved the patient from worse conditions or death. Failure to diagnose is when your doctor completely misses the connection between your symptoms and a medical condition and no treatment is prescribed. Delayed diagnosis is when your doctor isn’t fast enough in making the connection between your symptoms and a medical condition.
Childbirth injuries
A doctor makes glaring mistakes during prenatal care or during childbirth itself. Childbirth injuries are a serious matter and include everything from bruise or laceration on the child, or a severe injury (such as cerebral palsy or an HIE brain injury) that leaves your child permanently disabled. In many instance, birth injuries can be attributed to medical malpractice.
Medication errors
This is when a doctor prescribes the wrong medication, or the wrong dosage. This could also be when the doctor doesn’t recognize potential harmful complications of the medication when it comes to your specific condition and health.
Surgical errors
Surgical errors can be in the form of many different mistakes, such as when a doctor operates on the wrong body part, leaves a surgical instrument inside a patient’s body (such as a surgical sponge), or damages an organ.
Anesthesia errors
Too much, or too little, anesthesia is a scary thought but it does happen. Another type of anesthesia error is when the anesthesiologist uses the wrong type of anesthesia.
It’s unfortunate that errors happen as often as they do, which is why it’s important to be your own best advocate for your health. Do your research on doctors, hospitals, and your medical conditions, and ask many questions. Also, make sure you ask yourself some questions before considering filing a malpractice lawsuit.
If you suspect you or a loved one are the victim of medical malpractice, contact Lyndsay Markley Law. Allow us to navigate you through the complex issues of a medical malpractice case. Our firm has successfully resolved millions of dollars in medical negligence cases against physicians, hospitals, and other health care facilities and providers.
You can schedule a FREE consultation with Lyndsay Markley Law by calling (312) 523-2158, or emailing info@lmarkleylaw.com.
