3 Actions That Constitute Medical Malpractice
Posted on: 25 August 2021
Physicians are afforded a certain level of trust by the public. You seek the help of a medical professional when you aren't feeling well, and you expect your doctor to uncover the issue and provide treatment.
Unfortunately, there are instances where a medical professional can fail to live up to his or her responsibilities. You have the option of working with a personal injury attorney to seek compensation for your injuries if you feel you have been the victim of medical malpractice. Read on to learn more.
1. Diagnostic Errors
Some of the most common actions that result in medical malpractice lawsuits are associated with the diagnostic process. There are several ways the diagnostic process can go awry.
For example, a doctor can attribute the symptoms of an illness to a completely unrelated condition. A patient's complaints may never be fully addressed, resulting in no viable diagnosis. The correct diagnosis can go unidentified until it's too late for effective treatment.
Each of these diagnostic errors could serve as the basis for a personal injury lawsuit over the medical malpractice of your doctor.
2. Incomplete Patient History
You have probably been asked to fill out a patient history form when visiting a new doctor. These forms play a critical role in helping medical professionals provide accurate and timely treatment.
The standard of care in the medical industry requires that medical professionals gather information about a patient's medical history before trying to diagnose or treat any illness. If all of the necessary information isn't obtained, a medical professional can't complete an accurate assessment of a patient's overall health.
If you feel that your doctor didn't gather a complete patient history prior to providing services, you could file a personal injury lawsuit to seek damages caused by the incomplete patient history.
3. Surgical Errors
Surgical procedures are used to provide medical relief for a wide range of patients. Surgeons are among the most skilled medical professionals, and they must live up to a higher standard of care when it comes to treating patients.
Any mistakes that are made during surgery have the potential to cause serious health issues for the patient. Common surgical errors include leaving a foreign object in the body, administering the wrong dose of anesthesia, and performing the wrong surgery on a patient.
Your attorney can help you determine if an error made during your surgical procedure can justify the filing of a personal injury lawsuit against your surgeon.
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