In many areas where accidents happen, you'll find that human error plays a big role. Despite calling them "accidents," these events take place for a reason. Most often, it's because someone made a mistake. For instance, human error causes most car accidents, leading to thousands and thousands of deaths every year.
Avoiding communication issues and medical errors
Medical errors take many lives annually. Experts do disagree at times on exactly how many people pass away, but some studies have said it is at least 5,000 people every year. Other studies have indicated that it may be more like 250,000 people per year.
Skin cancer may show up where you don't expect it
Typically, you expect skin cancer to show up on places that often see exposure to sunlight, such as your face, your forehead and your hands. However, if your doctor or dermatologist only looks in those areas, they could miss cancer entirely when it shows up in an unexpected location.
Did your doctor ignore cancer symptoms?
Cancer symptoms aren't always obvious. It often seems like something completely unrelated. Is that cough just a persistent cold that you can't shake or are you in the early stages of lung cancer? It can be hard to tell.
C-section mistakes and errors
In some cases, women choose to give birth through a c-section, perhaps because they have had one before, and it is safer to do the same procedure again. In other cases, it is medically necessary, as the child cannot be born naturally.
Mistakes doctors too often make during childbirth
A newborn is very fragile and vulnerable, and it is of the utmost importance that doctors in the delivery room avoid mistakes that could lead to injury. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. Doctors are human, they make mistakes and newborns suffer significant injuries as a result.
Erroneous treatment: Were you a victim?
Medical malpractice claims come in many forms and varieties. One type that people don't always think about relates to "erroneous treatment." This happens when a doctor gives a patient the wrong kind of treatment. This might happen as a result of a misdiagnosis or a failed diagnosis. If the errors made by a doctor in these cases would have been obvious to other doctors in the field, then it might be possible for the patient to pursue an erroneous treatment claim.
Medical malpractice: What does ‘res ipsa’ mean?
Whenever a personal injury plaintiff files a lawsuit alleging medical malpractice, they will be at a severe disadvantage. The treating physician are experienced in all things related to medicine, so they will be particularly skilled at defending their actions in court. Not only that, but the medical provider probably created the very medical records that the plaintiff will use as evidence in his or her case. Physicians are skilled at writing chart notes in a way that reduces the chances that they could be at legal risk later.
Did your doctor or nurse make a medication mistake?
Whenever a doctor prescribes medication -- and whenever a nurse administers medication at a hospital -- there is a chance of making a mistake. In fact, these mistakes happen all the time and every day at hospitals throughout the United States, and usually, they don't result in any kind of injury or adverse reaction in the patient. Sometimes, however, a medication error will come with devastating and fatal consequences.
3 ways to avoid a medical malpractice injury
It's your doctor's responsibility to ask you the right questions and fully examine your symptoms to accurately diagnose and treat your medical condition. It's your doctor's responsibility to follow standard medical procedure when giving you care. This is why -- when a doctor is negligent or reckless when administering care -- patients who are injured as a result can pursue a medical negligence claim for financial damages.
