Medical malpractice is more common than you think. Some of the most common cases include operating on a patient while they are conscious, cutting off a healthy limb from a patient, and removing the wrong organ. It is a broad category, and many people may not realize that they are victims of medical malpractice. We’ll go over what constitutes medical malpractice as well as what you need to do if you are a victim.
Elements to look out for
There are a few factors that determine whether you have a clear case of medical malpractice. They include,
Wrong diagnosis
While a wrong diagnosis may be seen as a simple mistake, it could lead to dire consequences, such as the patient’s illness progressing faster without medical intervention. The chances of survival for some illnesses reduce drastically as they go untreated in the body.
If you are a victim of misdiagnosis, a Chicago medical malpractice attorney can inform you of the options available to you.
Surgical mistakes
These errors must never happen because of the serious effect they could have on the patient. For instance, leaving a surgical object in a patient’s body or causing an injury without addressing it.
These types of surgical mistakes can lead to serious infections and, ultimately, death.
Injuries during childbirth
There are a lot of tools and processes used to support the birthing mother, but some, if not done properly, can injure the child. There have been cases of children being physically scratched by birthing tools and other more severe cases where the injuries lead to complications like cerebral palsy.
Delaying a c-section can also cause serious problems for the baby.
Prescription errors
Doctors are required to ask patients questions about their drug allergies and all. This helps them determine which medications to prescribe. If a patient is given the wrong medication, it could cause other issues or even death in severe cases. This is a clear case of medical malpractice.
What to do
If you suspect that you were not given adequate care, you can contact a malpractice attorney. The attorney will help you to determine factors such as the existence of a doctor-patient relationship, breach of care, and injury from that breach.
Why is it important to contact a skilled attorney? For one, these cases are affected by the statute of limitations. This means that they can expire after some time. This time differs in different states, so you need to be sure what applies to your state.
The attorney will take all the necessary steps including writing a demand letter to the hospital’s insurer to get compensation. If the hospital doesn’t comply, then the case can be taken to court. The court will force the hospital to take responsibility for your injuries.
When you seek medical attention, doctors and other healthcare professionals owe you a duty of care. If this duty is overlooked, you may have a case and be due for compensation.
Sounds good unless you are elderly. Attorneys will not take a case for justice! Only for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$! If the victim is above a certain age forget it. Reform is needed in NJ to assist the elderly (no matter how old) and their families! It’s all corrupt.