What Are the Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice?
When you seek medical care for an illness or injury, you have a right to expect the doctor, nurse, or hospital to live up to the standards of their profession. However, when this does not happen, your health concerns may worsen. By filing a medical malpractice claim against the negligent healthcare provider, you have an opportunity to recover compensation for your injuries. Working with a seasoned Virginia medical malpractice attorney can help you understand whether you have a case and how much money you may be eligible to claim.
Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice
While medical malpractice can happen in many ways, some forms happen more frequently than others. The most common types of medical malpractice include diagnostic errors, surgical errors, medication errors, and childbirth-related injuries.
Diagnostic Errors
Errors relating to diagnosis come in three main forms:
- Failure to diagnose a condition, which occurs when a doctor does not recognize an illness or condition that a reasonably competent doctor would have
- Delayed diagnosis, which occurs when a patient suffers harm because a doctor does not accurately diagnose a condition by the time they reasonably should have
- Misdiagnosis, which occurs when a patient suffers harm because a doctor reaches the wrong diagnosis
These diagnostic errors often occur with conditions such as cancer, stroke, and heart attack. As a result, the patient may not receive the treatment they need to keep their condition from worsening and causing further harm. Alternatively, they may suffer harm because they receive treatment they do not require yet has negative side effects.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors happen due to technical mistakes during an operation. Examples include:
- Leaving surgical equipment inside patients
- Injuring organs or tissues
- Administering anesthesia incorrectly
Medication Errors
Medication errors can occur in the following circumstances:
- When a doctor prescribes the incorrect dose for the patient and their condition
- When a doctor or nurse administers a drug with known adverse interactions with another drug the patient takes
- When a pharmacy dispenses an incorrect medication to a patient
Impact on Patients
Winning a medical malpractice case entails demonstrating that the medical provider’s negligence has led directly to quantifiable damages. The effects of medical malpractice can be far-reaching and may include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Unnecessary medical bills
- Lost income due to missed time at work
- Emotional trauma
Furthermore, if your medical malpractice injuries lead to a disability, you may need expensive assistive devices and long-term care. You should not have to shoulder these financial burdens when a negligent medical provider is the cause. Working with an experienced Virginia medical malpractice attorney can optimize your chances of recovering full and fair compensation for these and other losses.
Contact Strickland, Diviney & Segura Today
We’re taught to respect and defer to the medical practitioners who care for us, which can leave us overwhelmed and confused about our options when we begin to suspect that our trust was misplaced. The compassionate medical malpractice attorneys at Strickland, Diviney & Segura understand how challenging life can feel for people in your situation. We can help by investigating your case, calculating the full value of your losses, and fighting for your full and fair recovery.
Our lawyers have a proven track record of helping injured Virginians secure compensation in their time of need. We are ready to do the same for you. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you.
