Most Common Types Of Medical Malpractice Claims
You may see doctors regularly and urge others in your family to do the same. However, with the frequency of medical malpractice lawsuits across the state of Connecticut, you wonder what, exactly, makes for a case against a physician or hospital.
Medical malpractice claims can arise out of a failure to uphold certain standards of care by doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists and others in the health care industry. Some lawsuits occur over more common claims than others. Take a look at some common types of medical negligence.
Errors in Prescribing or Administering Correct Medication or Dosage
Doctors may make mistakes when it comes to specifying the proper medicine or dosage. A patient may be prescribed or administered too much of a medication or wind up taking the wrong drug completely. Malpractice claims can relate to the side effects of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Mistakes That Occur During Surgery
Whether a medical procedure is elective or required, errors can occur. You have probably heard of patients waking up to find that a surgical instrument was accidentally left inside during a procedure. Malpractice extends to post-op infection, incorrect incision location and pre-operative mistakes that lead to the wrong surgery being performed.
Incorrect Anesthesia Dose or Type
An anesthesiologist’s job requires complete focus on the patient before, during and after sedative administration. If an anesthesiologist does not pay attention to medical history or makes other mistakes (of omission or commission), a patient may wind up paying the price.
Misdiagnosis or No Diagnosis
When you go to the doctor with a complaint, you expect to receive a correct diagnosis. Instead, you may be sent home and told to reduce your stress or change your diet. Sometimes, doctors do not get the symptoms right, and you may end up in trouble down the road as a result. Failure to diagnose a problem or misclassification of your symptoms may result in real harm.
Medical mistakes occur more frequently than you think. If you believe you have suffered at the hands of a medical provider, you may want to seek legal help.