If you suffered undue harm because of a medical professional’s negligence, carelessness, or outright recklessness, you’re not alone. Medical malpractice happens in hospitals, emergency rooms, behind surgery room doors, and inside private medical practices each and every day.
“Each year tens of thousands of people die, and hundreds of thousands more are injured, as a result of medical error,” The New York Times reported.
Medical malpractice or negligence simply refers to medical errors made by healthcare professionals, which directly injury a patient.
While there are many different types of medical malpractice, the main categories of lawsuits filed because of physician negligence include the following:
- Surgical errors (wrong site surgery, failure to control bleeding, damaging a nerve, etc.)
- Misdiagnoses (e.g. misdiagnosing a disease for an infection)
- Medication errors (giving too much or too little, giving the wrong medication, or dangerously mixing the wrong medications)
- Failure to diagnose (failing to diagnose a disease or medical condition altogether)
- Anesthesia errors (too much or too little anesthesia)
- Labor and delivery errors (causing excessive bleeding, causing nerve damage to the baby, anesthesia errors during C-Sections, and so on)
Medical Malpractice is Not Uncommon
Unfortunately, medical malpractice is extremely common, but healthcare providers are in the habit of keeping it quiet. It’s a known fact among personal injury attorneys that medical providers, hospitals, surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists can and do make mistakes, but they’re often too quick to “sweep it under the rug” and act like it didn’t happen.
Even the best doctors make mistakes, but that does not mean their patients should suffer in silence. If you’re considering filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, please realize that most doctors carry medical malpractice insurance. In fact, many hospitals and doctor’s offices won’t hire a physician unless he or she carries medical malpractice insurance. So, don’t be afraid to file a lawsuit to seek the damages you need and deserve.
Were you or someone you love injured by a negligent doctor or nurse? If so, contact the Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC for a free consultation!