No patient wants to end up a victim of medical malpractice. Despite the medical industry’s complaints of “frivolous lawsuits,” when someone is injured, it’s never frivolous.
Some procedures leave you at greater risk for malpractice than others, and the outcomes can be very different depending on if you are receiving inpatient or outpatient care.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors
make up about one-third of medical malpractice claims for inpatients. These include surgery on the wrong site, surgery performed on the wrong patient, the use of unsanitary medical tools, organ damage or nerve damage. Anesthesia is another common reason for medical malpractice claims. From incorrectly inserted breathing tubes to complications that go unnoticed, a routine procedure can go from dangerous to deadly in a matter of moments if the anesthesiologist is not paying close attention to the patient.
Failure to Diagnose
For outpatients, the most common cause of medical malpractice claims is failure to diagnose. This occurs when a physician should have reasonable ruled out a particular problem but didn’t, and the missed diagnosis caused the patient harm. Common diagnosis mistakes include cancer, meningitis, and heart attacks. These are the most common claims because they share many symptoms with other, more common and less life-threatening, conditions.
Medication Errors
Medication errors cause about 1.5 million injuries in the U.S. each year. These claims include being prescribed the wrong medication, the wrong dose, or not warning patients about deadly side effects.
At Bouchillon, Crossan & Colburn, L.C., our attorneys have more than 40 years dedicated to giving clients the attention, advice, support and empowerment they need to effectively meet their goals. We are committed to the principle that all persons shall have equal justice under the law. If you or a loved one has been injured and is seeking a qualified personal injury attorney, contact our Huntington, West Virginia office to speak with an attorney about your case, or call 304-521-4636.