When you have a medical problem, it’s reassuring to know that you have access to good medical care, competent doctors and invaluable aftercare services that you can count on. So, when something does go wrong and your medical journey is hindered either before, during or after your treatment it can feel like a complete betrayal of your trust and your expectations. Not only does this effect your mentally, but physically you may be in a worse position than where you started. And with medical bills piling up and the added inconvenience of not being able to work, it’s no wonder that so many people turn to legal action.
If this sounds like your current situation, then speaking to a lawyer is the best course of action, however read on and you’ll find some of the most common medical malpractice cases.
Birth injuries
A critical and fatal mistake during the delivery of a child can have disastrous and life changing results for everyone involved. From brain injuries such as cerebral palsy to severe nerve damage like Erb’s palsy, birth injuries caused as a result of negligence and below par medical care are every parents worst nightmare.
Surgical errors
When you’re told that you need surgery, it’s already a distressing and worrying prospect. However, if something does go wrong during surgery then you’re likely to be suffering with the consequences for years to come. Surgical errors include:
- Operating on the wrong body part/limb
- Causing last nerve or tissue damage during surgery
- The use of dirty and unsterile surgical equipment
- Failure to monitor vital signs correctly
- Leaving surgical tools inside the patient
- Poor post-op care
Delayed diagnosis/misdiagnosis
If you have a medical problem and there was a delay in your diagnosis and now as a consequence your recovery has been severely impacted or your condition has gotten considerably worse, then you may have a claim. In cases like these, medical notes are crucial as they indicate whether or not the correct steps were taken to find the right diagnosis. E.g. Were the correct tests run. Similar to a misdiagnosis, tests and results will be scrutinised as will the doctors conduct.
Anaesthesia negligence
The use of anaesthesia requires skills, experience and knowledge, so when errors with anaesthesia occur they have the potential to be at the very least life changing, and even life threatening. Errors like this can result in brain damage or even death! If your vital signs weren’t monitored correctly, or your medical history taken into account by your anaesthetist then you could have a claim for medical malpractice.
Medication errors
As part of your ongoing health care plan or as a result of a diagnosis and subsequent treatment, you probably have a strict medication plan that you now need to adhere to. However, if your doctor has prescribed you the wrong medication, has prescribed the incorrect dosage, the pharmacy has given you the wrong medication or even if there was an issue in the manufacturing of the drug and as a result of these issues you now have a serious complication, then you may have a medical malpractice case.
