5 Common Examples of Medical Malpractice

Over 200,000 people pass away annually due to some type of medical malpractice. examples of medical malpractice. It’s crazy to believe something so avoidable places third as the most common reason for death in America. 

Learning examples of medical malpractice can help you determine if you or someone you know is experiencing it. There are 5 common types you will understand in the next few minutes. 

What is Medical Malpractice? 

If the physician, hospital, or other providers who care for a patient injure them by a negligent act or omission, it is medical malpractice. In order to prove this claim, it should follow 4 elements: duty of care given, a breach in that duty, injury, and damages that resulted. You can sue the hospital if this happens. 

Examples of Medical Malpractice

In order for an issue to be considered malpractice, it must have some degree of negligence. Sometimes malpractice can be purely gross negligence on the provider’s part. The best way to determine what is considered negligent and falls as malpractice is to look at a few examples. 

1. Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose

The most common type of malpractice occurs when a physician diagnoses you with a certain condition when you suffer from something else. For example, you walk into the hospital and the doctor claims you are only experiencing migraines when you are experiencing an aneurysm. 

The most common misdiagnosed conditions are cancer, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, and thyroid issues. 

It is just as bad if a doctor fails to diagnose you altogether. In such cases you may be left with the wrong treatment plan or non at all. 

2. Medication Errors

People who work in the hospital know about the 5 rights of medication. Sadly, errors still happen frequently. 

They may happen if a provider gives or prescribes the wrong medication, gives an inaccurate strength, or provides outdated labels to a patient. If a medication is given when someone has a known allergy or fails to consider a patient’s age, it is also malpractice. 

3. Surgical Errors

Surgery in itself is a frightening event, more so when it’s complicated and you are required to go under anesthesia. Mistakes may occur before, during, or after surgery. 

If you wake up expecting to lose your left leg, but you no longer have your right leg, the doctor has made a severe error. The same goes for cases where surgical tools are left in the patient’s body. 

4. Hospital-Acquired Infections

Care and equipment are supposed to be sanitized for every patient to prevent the spread of harmful pathogens. Getting an infection during a hospital stay must meet certain conditions to be considered malpractice. 

First, the hospital-acquired infection must have started up to 48 post-admission or 72 hours after discharge. The injury should remain up to a month for those who underwent a surgical procedure. Also, infections, like ulcers, start during a hospital stay when admitted for other reasons.  

5. Physical Injuries 

Providing patient safety is drilled into health care providers. Cases of malpractice that result in physical injury can happen with falls. These falls may occur out of bed or a wheelchair and happen mostly in nursing homes.

Another example may be if a doctor fails to finish a c-section in a timely manner. This can cause childbirth injuries to the infant. 

Get Help for Medical Malpractice 

The doctor is not always right in their care. If you are ever uncertain or unsure about something. you should find out if you are experiencing one of the many examples of medical malpractice. Remaining silent during such times may literally be the death of you. 

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