Common Types of Medical Malpractice Cases

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We trust doctors, pharmacists, and other medical professionals to protect our health to the fullest extent possible. When handling our health, they have a duty to provide care. If a medical professional ignores that duty and their negligence affects our health, you have a right to pursue compensation for your ailment(s). A medical professional’s negligence can cause a variety of things to go wrong. Some medical mistakes can be more common than others. Consider the following to be some of the most common types of medical malpractice cases.

Medication Errors

Medical professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, and even nurses, can be held accountable for making an error in prescribing or providing medication to a patient. Whether it’s the wrong medication or the dosage is incorrect, the medical professional who made the error will most likely be held liable.

There are some instances in which a medication error may be related to a misdiagnosis, but that’s a type of medical malpractice we will explain a little later in this article.

Surgical Errors

Many obvious medical malpractice cases stem from surgical procedures. One common error is known as a “never event.” This type of negligence occurs when a doctor or another kind of healthcare professional acknowledges an error should never occur, but the error happens regardless. For example, a doctor should not leave a medical instrument in the patient’s body after an operation.

Another common surgical error could involve a doctor operating on the wrong part of a patient’s body, carelessly injuring them in the process.

Birth Injuries

Medical professionals involved in the childbirth process, such as gynecologists and obstetricians, can cause a lifetime of harm to newborns if they fail to meet the proper standard of care. Birth injuries that are the result of medical malpractice can include cerebral palsy, paralysis, nerve damage, and fractures.

Mothers can also suffer from the adverse effects of birth injuries. If insufficient treatment takes place prior to the birth of a child, the mother can be severely harmed. An example of this negligent care can include the unsafe use of surgical equipment during a cesarean section (C-section).

Misdiagnosis

A misdiagnosis is considered to be one of the most typical types of medical malpractice cases. For a misdiagnosis to occur, a medical professional would fail to recognize what is ailing their patient as compared to a medical professional who properly recognized it and cured the ailment.

From a legal standpoint, the injured party would need to explain how the medical errors affected their health. Standard misdiagnosis cases include failing to or inaccurately diagnosing a patient’s cancer.

How To Win Your Medical Malpractice Case

To win a medical malpractice case in Philadelphia, you must have an expert medical provider’s testimony that no reasonable health care provider would have done what yours did. You must also prove through expert testimony that the negligence of your health care provider was a cause of injury or death.

Are You a Victim of Medical Malpractice? Contact Fellerman & Ciarimboli Today

At Fellerman & Ciarimboli, we understand the anger and frustration surrounding an injury that resulted from medical negligence. We will work tirelessly to help ease the financial, caregiving, and emotional burdens caused by the medical professional who caused you and your family pain and suffering. Contact our Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers today for a free consultation.

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