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The 3 Most Common Medical Malpractice Claims

by The Cochran Firm Phildelphia   | June 14, 2024

When you’re suffering from a health issue and seek professional medical help, you expect to be taken care of. While most doctors and nurses do their best to provide their patients with quality care, mistakes happen. In some cases, those mistakes have life-altering consequences.

If you’ve received negligent treatment and suffered a new injury or a degradation of your original condition as a result, you may be entitled to compensation. Here, we look at the most common circumstances in which medical malpractice happens.

Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose

According to a study published by the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence, around 795,000 Americans suffer death or permanent disability every year because of diagnostic errors.

Misdiagnosis is common because some illnesses are difficult to identify, while others have less obvious symptoms. In the case of stroke (one of the most commonly misdiagnosed health events), for example, symptoms may be mistaken for common age-related issues, such as loss of bladder control or difficulty with balance.

Without a proper diagnosis, it’s nearly impossible for a doctor to implement a successful treatment plan. Diagnostic errors can lead to delays in treatment, a complete lack of treatment, or inappropriate interventions. Depending on individual circumstances, these can cause anything from a slight extension of recovery time to serious injury and death.

Aside from health-related implications, diagnostic errors can also lead to financial issues related to extended hospital stays and unnecessary treatments.

Prescription Errors

Prescription errors can occur in a variety of ways, including:

  • Administration of an inappropriate drug because of a diagnostic mistake.
  • Administration of an inappropriate drug because of a technical mistake by a doctor or nurse (such as in cases involving misread patient charts).
  • Excessive or inadequate dosage. Excessive dosing of certain drugs can be extremely dangerous, particularly when it comes to drugs that pose an overdose risk. Inadequate dosing may also leave you without the desired therapeutic effects of your course of treatment.
  • Improper timing of dosages.

Prescription errors cause problems on two fronts. You may be left at risk of health issues related to consuming a potentially dangerous medication unnecessarily, and you may also suffer a degradation of your original condition because you’re not getting the right type of treatment.

Any medical professional responsible for delivering or administering medication may be held responsible for mistakes like these, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and even drug manufacturers. Healthcare facilities may also be responsible via the doctrine of vicarious liability.

Childbirth Errors

Obstetrics and gynecology is among the most commonly sued medical specialties; studies show that around 83% of doctors working in this area will face at least one lawsuit in their careers. Medical errors before, during, and after childbirth can impact both mothers and children.

Prenatal care negligence may include:

  • Failure to recognize birth defects in the womb
  • Failure to protect newborns from potentially contagious diseases
  • Allowing an ectopic pregnancy to continue beyond the point at which diagnosis becomes possible
  • Failure to diagnose any medical conditions on a mother’s part that could affect pregnancy or delivery.

Negligence during childbirth can lead to complications like fetal distress, spinal cord injuries, and postmortem hemorrhage (which is the leading cause of maternal death after delivery). Doctors and midwives must monitor mothers and babies closely throughout labor; issues can develop quickly and without warning, and swift intervention is often crucial in preventing serious harm.

After a child is born, close medical attention is again necessary to ensure mothers and babies are doing well. Common issues that can arise in the period directly after birth include:

  • Hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice)
  • Infections
  • Abnormal levels of neonatal glucose
  • Respiratory distress
  • Abnormal blood pressure
  • Aspiration syndrome.

Though the occurrence of issues like these does not automatically indicate that medical negligence has taken place, it’s up to doctors and midwives to promptly diagnose and treat any problems that arise. If they fail to do so, you may have a medical malpractice case on your hands.

Getting the Help You Need With Your Medical Malpractice Claim

If you’ve suffered an injury because of a medical professional’s mistake, please contact The Cochran Firm in Philadelphia. Our experienced medical malpractice lawyers will fight to get you the justice you deserve.

You can reach us via our online contact form or by calling 800-969-4400.

Get a free consultation

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