Have you ever left a doctor’s office, feeling worse than when you arrived? Any time you schedule an appointment with a doctor, you expect them to achieve a specific standard of care. One small mistake could change your entire future.
Negligence could lead to a disability, impacting your entire quality of life. If a doctor’s negligence caused you harm, you might need a malpractice lawyer.
These situations happen more often than most people think. In fact, Americans file about 17,000 medical malpractice suits every year.
Hold your doctors accountable for their mistakes. Here are six common examples of medical malpractice lawyers maryland. If these situations sound familiar, consider contacting a malpractice attorney right away.
With their help, you can fight for the compensation you deserve.
Keep reading to learn more about the different types of medical malpractice today.
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Birth Injury
Imagine spending months preparing a nursery and picking out baby names. You’re anticipating the arrival of your bundle of joy. One small mistake could snatch that future away.
Losing a child isn’t easy on anyone. Unfortunately, some parents never get the chance to know their children. In fact, almost 21,000 infant deaths occur each year in the US.
In some cases, a healthcare provider’s negligence leads to a child’s death. These mistakes could have lifelong consequences on the mother and child.
Potential problems often associated with childbirth injuries include:
- Placental abnormalities (like placental abruption)
- Shoulder dystocia
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Oxygen deprivation to the baby
- Improper use of forceps during birth
- Surgical errors during a Caesarian section
- Hemorrhage of the mother during labor or pregnancy
It’s not always easy to prove liability and damages in a birth injury case, though. It’s important to find a malpractice attorney with the experience you need. They can leverage their experience and expertise when building your lawsuit.
They’ll know which procedures, laws, and previous cases might help build your case.
They can also calculate your losses, including your pain and suffering.
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Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are sometimes the most common examples of medical malpractice.
When you schedule surgery, you expect to remain in the hands of a capable professional. One error during your surgery could cause lasting complications. You could even die on the table.
Potential surgical errors that might impact your quality of life include:
- Performing an incorrect procedure
- Failing to track vital signs during surgery
- Using non-sterile surgical instruments
- Failing to control the patient’s bleeding
- Damaging tissues, nerves, or organs during surgery
- Leaving medical equipment or bandages inside a patient (leading to infection)
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Operating on the wrong patient
- Unsafe procedures during surgery (causing harm to the patient)
- Improper care before and after surgery
The surgeon’s negligence could impact your health. You might develop lasting disfigurement or a liability. If any of these medical malpractice examples sound familiar, contact your lawyer.
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Medication Errors
Your doctor should leverage their experience and knowledge when prescribing medications. Otherwise, taking the wrong medications could impact your health. For starters, you’ll fail to receive the medication you need to heal.
Meanwhile, you might have an allergic reaction when taking the wrong medication. The medication could conflict with supplements or other medications you’re taking, too.
A medication error can occur when:
- Manufacturing medication (wrong components, packaging, or strength)
- Dispensing medication (wrong formulation, label, strength, or drug)
- Choosing a patient’s medication (inaccurate prescribing, under or overprescribing, irresponsible prescribing)
- Writing the prescription (illegible prescription or writing the wrong prescription)
- Taking the medication (wrong duration, dose, frequency)
- Monitoring therapy on the medication
The doctor should consider your medical history, status, and age. Otherwise, taking the wrong medication could cause you serious harm.
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Misdiagnosis
When reviewing these different types of medical malpractice, consider your doctor’s diagnosis. If they get the diagnosis wrong, they’ll likely prescribe the wrong medication. You could receive the wrong treatment as well.
Your doctor might have confused one medical condition for another. Maybe they didn’t take your symptoms into account. Either way, conditions that are often misdiagnosed include:
- Celiac disease
- Stroke
- Cancer
- Heart attack
- Lyme disease
- Thyroid conditions
- Pulmonary embolism
In some cases, a condition will present in unusual ways that don’t make sense to a doctor. These cases don’t count as medical malpractice.
It’s only malpractice if you can prove the doctor’s negligence led to the misdiagnosis.
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Hospital-Acquired Infections
When you stay at a hospital for treatment, you expect a clean, sterile environment. Staying in unsanitary conditions could cause you to develop a life-threatening infection. These infections could impact your bloodstream, urinary tract, or respiratory system.
You can talk to a malpractice lawyer if you’ve developed:
- MRSA
- Staph infections
- Pneumonia
- Other infections caused by negligence
Unfortunately, hospitals are full of pathogens. Before you can file for medical malpractice, you’ll need to prove the infection occurred:
- Within 48 hours of your hospital admission
- Within three days of your discharge
- Up to 30 days after surgery
- In a medical facility where you received treatment for reasons besides the infection
Let your medical malpractice lawyer know if you contracted an infection after seeking treatment at a hospital.
Who can you sue in a medical malpractice claim? You can explore this overview to learn more.
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Anesthesia Errors
Surgery is nerve-wracking enough as it is. Unfortunately, the long list of potential issues that can occur in an operating room can make it worse. For example, you might need anesthesia before undergoing surgery.
Only trained doctors administer anesthesia. It’s their job to administer and track anesthesia.
Your anesthesiologist should review your medical history before your surgery. They should review your allergies, prior medications, and medical record.
An anesthesia error can occur at any point before or during your surgery. For example, the anesthesiologist should inform you of safety procedures beforehand. They should watch you during the surgery, too.
Otherwise, an anesthesia error could lead to brain damage.
Make Your Case: 6 Examples of Medical Malpractice for a Potential Lawsuit
Remember, doctors should provide you with a certain standard of care during treatment. If their negligence leads to an injury, consider these examples of medical malpractice. Don’t hesitate to contact a malpractice lawyer if these situations sound familiar.
They can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
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