Healthcare providers and medical staff are expected to act appropriately and deliver a reasonable standard of care to patients. When that doesn’t happen, medical malpractice attorneys often need to get involved. It’s hard for regular people to admit mistakes and it’s nearly impossible for healthcare providers and medical staff to do so.
It is vital that you know everything you can about what constitutes medical malpractice so you know when it’s appropriate to seek counsel from experienced medical malpractice attorneys. Doctors, surgeons, and medical staff can all act in a manner that constitutes malpractice and it happens more than you’d probably like to think.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are one of the leading causes of medical malpractice costing millions in damages annually. They’ve even coined a special phrase called ‘never events’ which are events that should never happen but often do, like leaving an object in a patient during surgery. Surgical errors can be anything from operating on the wrong site to failing to provide proper aftercare once surgery is complete. If you feel you have experienced a surgical error, it is important to speak to experienced medical malpractice attorneys to see if you should file a suit.
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis is another common form of medical malpractice, and it can be life-threatening. It is unfortunate but medical care is not an exact science. Doctors are people who can be overworked, tired, and in some cases careless. Seeking the counsel of medical malpractice attorneys can help determine if the healthcare providers in your case acted reasonably or if another doctor would have acted in the same manner to provide the best level of care possible.
Failure to Treat
Again, medical care isn’t exact, and people are subject to the opinions of their healthcare providers. When you seek treatment and your healthcare provider fails to recognize symptoms of a serious illness due to their own carelessness, it may be time to talk to medical malpractice attorneys. This may include failing to provide a referral to a specialist when needed, treating symptoms so slowly that it actually causes harm, or even failing to monitor a known medical condition.
Healthcare Providers and Medical Staff Are Regular People
It’s important to remember that healthcare staff and medical providers are just regular people. Yes, they have had specialized training and we look to them for guidance. Unfortunately, they are subject to the same demands that most of us are. They can be overworked, tired, careless, and yes sometimes have a substance abuse problem.
These are all factors which can affect the level of care they provide. Patients need an advocate. If something doesn’t feel right, then say something. If you don’t get resolved or you feel you didn’t receive proper and timely medical care, talk to experienced medical malpractice attorneys to see if it’s time to bring suit.
Seeking the Counsel of Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Unfortunately, many malpractice issues go unreported. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), nearly a quarter of a million people die annually as a direct cause of medical errors. Medical errors are one of the leading causes of death annually in America, second only to heart disease and cancer. If you feel you’ve suffered from a medical or surgical error, partner with a skilled medical malpractice attorney today.
