What are the Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice?

When people are sick or injured, they place their health and safety in the hands of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. In most cases, these individuals perform their job properly and contribute to the wellness of patients. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. Healthcare professionals are human beings and as such, they are prone to make mistakes. Still, this does not excuse them from negligence. If you have been harmed by medical negligence, you may be able to file a claim against the healthcare provider. Below, our Knoxville medical malpractice attorney explains the most common types of mistakes to happen.

Misdiagnosis 

A misdiagnosis occurs when a patient is suffering from one condition, but a doctor diagnoses them with another. For example, a doctor may send a patient home saying that they just have a case of heartburn. If the patient is really experiencing a heart attack, this could cause them severe harm, and perhaps even their life.

Failure to Diagnose 

A failure to diagnose is different from a misdiagnosis. When a doctor fails to diagnose, they tell the patient that they are fine. This usually occurs because the doctor has missed important symptoms or signs. Doctors should run appropriate tests before sending a patient home telling them they are fine.

Emergency Room Negligence 

Emergency rooms are fast-paced environments, at least for the healthcare professionals who work in them. With so much happening all at once, nurses and doctors can overlook important factors that contribute to a patient’s declining health. One of the most common forms of emergency room negligence is forcing patients to wait too long before they get the treatment they need.

Surgical Mistakes 

The most common surgical mistake made is when sponges are left inside a patient’s body cavity. However, there are others, as well. These include performing surgery on the wrong patient or wrong body part, unnecessary surgeries, infections contracted during an operation, and a lack of informed consent.

Medication Errors

 There are many different types of medication errors that can happen in medical facilities. Patients may receive the wrong type of medication, or medicine may not be administered properly. A patient may receive too much or too little of a medication, which can cause serious complications. Healthcare professionals must clearly indicate when a patient needs medication, when it was administered, and the amount that was given. This will prevent miscommunication and misunderstandings from happening.

Our Medical Malpractice Attorney in Knoxville Can Help After Negligence 

Medical malpractice cases are all too common in Knoxville, but they are extremely difficult to prove. At Atkins Brezina, PLLC, our Knoxville medical malpractice attorney will work with an MD/JD to determine if negligence occurred and value your case appropriately so you obtain the full and fair damages you are rightfully entitled to. Call us today at 865-500-3121 or connect with us online to schedule a free review of your case with our experienced attorney and to learn more about how we can help with your case.

Sources:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3414600/

tn.gov/health/health-professionals/hcf-main/filing-a-complaint.html