Peoples’ health is always a top priority since it can affect every area of their lives. This is why people assess their diets and research natural health and fitness. Inevitably, there are times when medical treatment is required. At this stage people put their lives into the hands of professionals and specialists, trusting them to do what’s best.
The tragic reality is that sometimes mistakes are made. As a result, many people end up suffering physically as a direct consequence, and in the worst-case scenario patients have needlessly died. Many people use lawyers to prove that medical malpractice has occurred so they can claim financial compensation. If you want to know more about this subject, read on because this article will tell you everything you need to know.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
This is where a healthcare professional doesn’t treat you with the level of care that they should have done. When these errors result in injury to their patients, it’s called medical malpractice.
If this happens and you suffer because of it, there are corrective measures that can be sought through medical malpractice suits. They include getting compensation for medical bills if they were incurred, as well as money to cover the pain and suffering. You can also claim for loss of income while you were unable to work (because of their mistake).
Lawyers Can Help
Medical malpractice attorneys are experts in handling such claims. They seek to prove that the medical professional has breached his or her duty to provide adequate care. As a result, they will make it their job to seek damages on behalf of their client.
As at 2021, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a population of 1,585,010 people. By going online, you can find expert medical malpractice lawyers in Philadelphia and view examples of cases they’ve won, and how much money they reclaimed on behalf of their clients. It’s possible to have online chats and to request a free consultation and case evaluation. Many specialist sites also feature the latest news and articles on the subject too.
Faulty Equipment
Unfortunately, medical equipment can and does malfunction. The most common cause of such scenarios is a lack of maintenance or poor attention to detail when it comes to safety inspections. If the manufacturer’s instructions aren’t carefully followed during installation, repairs or routine check-ups, problems are likely to arise in the future.
Some equipment issues stem from products being sold with an expired warranty. Not only do the manufacturers not cover malfunctions after their return period has ended; any claims made by patients who have been harmed would likely be dismissed immediately if it can be proven that their purchase was outside the warranty window.
Human Error
Human error is the most common cause of medical malpractice. It may occur when an individual doesn’t follow standard procedures or forgets to do something. This includes leaving objects inside the patients’ bodies after surgery (e.g. scissors, swabs etc.). Some issues arise when doctors fail to review the patient’s records before surgery or don’t consult with specialists.
A doctor might not have read up on recent research which would have altered his/her approach in some way. For example, they hadn’t read new evidence showing how an existing drug might be causing patients more harm than good. It’s also possible that a medical specialist neglected key symptoms which should have triggered an urgent investigation (e.g. blood loss).
Medication Errors
If incorrect medication is given to a patient, it could lead to serious medical complications and even death. This is why it’s so important that doctors get prescriptions double-checked before they are given/administered. If someone with an allergy to penicillin were given amoxicillin, they could die in that situation. In some instances, nurses have given people someone else’s meds by mistake.
If incorrect dosages of the correct medication are given, this can also be dangerous. One example would be a diabetic patient being given a fatal overdose of insulin. Another would be giving a patient with high blood pressure incorrect amounts of medication to lower it.
Delayed Diagnosis Or Treatment
If appendicitis was not diagnosed, delayed treatment could lead to death or perforation of the appendix. If someone had undiagnosed cancer despite seeing their doctor, it could advance in some cases to Stage IV. At this point, cancer would be terminal and not able to cure by surgery.
Delayed care is when the patient was not seen immediately for their injury and as a result they suffered needlessly or incurred a permanent disability as a result. Delayed treatment can allow issues such as shock or infection to occur which could lead to additional surgeries, organ damage or loss of strength/mobility. In the worst-case scenario, people whose lives could have been saved by surgery died while they waited for treatment.
Communication Breakdown
When communication breaks down in the medical world, it can have serious consequences for patients and doctors alike. It could be there was a language barrier, and the interpreter was not clear – or there was no interpreter present. Alternatively, communication simply wasn’t occurring because of fatigue.
Some other examples include :
- Miscommunication in emergency rooms, such as not receiving important information.
- Mishearing what was said and giving the wrong medicine or an incorrect dosage.
- Discharging a patient in error.
Inadequate Hygiene
Many people don’t realize how many germs there are on objects we touch every day. Because hospitals see sick patients all the time it is easy for these areas to become contaminated.
If correct levels of hygiene aren’t maintained, doctors, staff, patients and visitors’ health can all be put at risk. Doctors and nurses are frequently accused of not maintaining appropriate hygiene standards, such as washing hands between patients or wearing gloves when necessary.
This has been a whistlestop tour on the subject of medical malpractice. You’re now more aware of the issues that can occur, and why they occur. With the right legal assistance, an injured patient may be able to gain justice and fair compensation for all the suffering they have incurred.
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