It sounds scary and intimidating. It almost sounds like evil doctors are out to harm the patients who place their health and (sometimes) their very lives in their trained and theoretically capable hands. However, it's important to realize that in the vast majority of all medical malpractice cases at the Lake of the Ozarks (and around the rest of the country), the doctors had only good intentions. Unfortunately, good intentions are sometimes not enough to prevent harmful outcomes.
McDuffey Law Firm is here to protect patients and their families who have suffered unnecessary pain and/or avoidable hardships at the hands of a medical professional. In today's blog, we want to take a closer look at the real truth about medical malpractice cases and what can contribute to them.
Types Of Medical Malpractice Cases
1. Misdiagnosis
Medical malpractice cases can sometimes arise as a result of a misdiagnosis. If doctors and/or their staff misdiagnose a patient's illness or condition, the patient may receive improper treatment. At best, this improper treatment won't have any beneficial impact. At worst, it could cause adverse and potentially serious side effects. This can be especially dangerous when the patient's condition has been misdiagnosed as one that requires particularly intensive treatment, such as cancer.
2. Improper Prescriptions
Improper prescriptions typically go hand-in-hand with misdiagnosis, but not always. Unfortunately, taking the wrong medication can prove very dangerous for patients. Prescription medications often come with several potential side effects, but patients take them because of the benefits they should provide. If a patient takes the wrong medication, he could potentially suffer all of the negative repercussions without receiving any of the positive benefits.
We're all human, and we all make mistakes. Unfortunately, surgeons who make mistakes in the operating room can impose serious harm on their patients. While surgery is certainly necessary in some situations, it almost always poses at least a minor risk. Patients undergoing surgery are trusting their bodies and their physical well-being to their doctors. Mistakes the doctors make while in the operating room could have serious repercussions, including internal bleeding and even death.
4. Failure To Diagnose
In some cases, medical malpractice does not result from a misdiagnosis or direct error on the healthcare practitioner's part. Medical malpractice cases can also arise when doctors fail to recognize and diagnose the condition their patient is experiencing. This failure to diagnose can become especially critical when the condition missed is something life-threatening, such as cancer.
5. Childbirth Errors
Birth is a major undertaking for both the mother and the child. While the vast majority of births occur without any complications, there are countless factors that can contribute to dangerous complications. Birth-related medical malpractice cases can result from negligence during prenatal care as well as childbirth. Because there are two lives at stake (the mother's and the baby's), it is especially important that friends and family remain aware of the potential for birth-related medical malpractice.
6. Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors are sometimes the most dangerous of them all. Because of its sedative nature, errors involving anesthesia can result in permanent brain damage and even death. The errors contributing to anesthesia-related medical malpractice cases can occur at any point in the process, from before administering the anesthesia (such as failing to obtain the patient's pertinent medical history) to after it has been administered (such as failing to monitor the patient's vital signs and react accordingly).
Your Medical Malpractice Resource
If you believe you may have the grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit, contact our medical malpractice attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks immediately. Our team can help you evaluate your case and determine how best to proceed. Your initial consultation is always free. Our personal injury firm in Osage Beach MO operates on a contingency-fee basis, which means that we will not charge you a penny for our services unless we win your case. Call 573-302-7211 to schedule your consultation today!
www.McDuffeyLaw.com
Ph. (573) 302-7211
Fax. (573) 302-7215
5754 Parkside Village Ct.,
P.O. Box 368
Osage Beach, Mo 65065
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