Medical Malpractice Injuries That Don't Grab Headlines

If a surgeon operates on the wrong part of the body or leaves an object inside a patient, expect the news to hit the headlines for days. However, those are not the only types of medical malpractice injuries patients routinely suffer. There are other, more common medical malpractice injuries that don't grab the headlines. Below are a few examples of such injuries.

Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis

A misdiagnosis occurs if a doctor makes a mistake that leads them to an incorrect disease. For example, there are many possible causes of chest pain, and a mistake can make your doctor make the wrong diagnosis when you complain of chest pains. A delayed diagnosis occurs if a doctor makes a mistake that delays the correct diagnosis. In both cases, you may suffer further medical complications before the doctor makes the right diagnosis and treatment.

Medication Errors

Medication errors occur as a result of a doctor giving you medicine in a manner that ends up harming you. Here are some of the ways in which a doctor can make a medication error:

  • Prescribing the wrong dosage
  • Prescribing medicine that you are allergic to
  • Prescribing the wrong combination of drugs

The prescribing doctor may be guilty of medical malpractice if it is confirmed that the medication error caused your injuries and that another doctor with similar training and experience wouldn't have made the same mistake.

Unnecessary Treatment

Most medical treatments have side effects, but their benefits outweigh the negative side effects. However, if you receive treatment that you shouldn't have received, you may experience the dangerous side effects without benefiting from the treatment in any way. Therefore, a doctor that gives you an unnecessary treatment that ends up causing you injury is guilty of medical malpractice.

Premature Discharge

If you have been admitted to a hospital, you shouldn't expect to get a medical discharge only after you have completely healed. Due to limited resources, your doctor will give you a discharge if they think you have reached a point where you can continue with the rest of your recovery at home. However, if your doctor makes a careless mistake and discharges you while you still need to be admitted, then the doctor may be guilty of medical malpractice.

Medical malpractice can be a complicated area of law. If you have a medical malpractice case, you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible so they can begin work on your case. This is one type of claim you shouldn't handle as a DIY.

For more information, contact a personal injury attorney near you.


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