Every time you visit a hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, or urgent care center, you are essentially putting your life in someone else’s hands. Unfortunately, healthcare providers are only human, and they make mistakes just like everyone else.
From 2006 to 2016, New York was one of the top four states in terms of the number of medical malpractice payments, according to Hofstra University. Some of the most common forms of medical negligence include misdiagnoses, medication errors, surgical and anesthesia errors, labor and delivery errors, and failure to administer appropriate treatment.
If you or a member of your family received substandard care in a medical facility, contact LoTempio P.C. Law Group to discuss your case. You may be entitled to compensation for healthcare expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Call 716-855-3761 to schedule a free case evaluation with a medical malpractice lawyer in New York.
Read on to learn about some of the most common types of medical negligence:
1. Misdiagnoses
Misdiagnoses typically occur when a doctor confuses a patient’s symptoms with another condition, fails to identify certain symptoms, or misinterprets the results of diagnostic tests. When this happens, the patient’s actual condition can progress as it goes untreated, and the patient may be subjected to a potentially harmful treatment for an injury or illness that he or she does not have.
2. Medication Errors
Medication errors can occur at any stage of drug administration. The prescribing doctor might write down the wrong medication name, a pharmacist could dispense the wrong drug, or a nurse might administer the wrong dosage. All of these errors have the potential to cause life-threatening complications under certain circumstances.
3. Surgical/Anesthesia Errors
Patients assume certain risks every time they undergo a surgical procedure, but when a surgeon or anesthesiologist makes a mistake that would have been avoided if they had used accepted standards of care, the patient may have the right to sue for damages. Common examples of surgical negligence include:
- Failing to monitor a patient’s vitals;
- Puncturing organs;
- Damaging nerves;
- Leaving foreign objects inside a patient’s body;
- Operating on the wrong site; and
- Failing to provide adequate aftercare for preventing infections.
4. Labor/Delivery Complications
Errors during labor and delivery are especially tragic because they can threaten the lives of both the mother and baby. Common examples of labor and delivery errors include:
- Failing to control blood loss during delivery;
- Failing to monitor the infant’s oxygen intake;
- Failing to detect physical or mental impairments during pregnancy; and
- Failure to perform a C-section during certain medical emergencies.
5. Failure to Treat
If a physician fails to treat an injury or illness when obvious symptoms are present, the patient’s condition can progress to a point where a more invasive or harmful treatment is needed. In some cases, a failure to diagnose can be fatal or lead to a permanent disability. Discharging a patient too soon and failing to provide adequate follow-up care are examples of failure to treat.
Discuss Your Case with a Medical Malpractice Attorney in New York
If you or someone you love was a victim of medical negligence, contact LoTempio P.C. Law Group. Our legal team will handle all the logistics of your case so you can focus on recovering. Call 716-855-3761 or fill out our Contact Form to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in New York.
I didn’t know that failing to detect physical or mental impairments during pregnancy could technically count as malpractice. Are doctors required to find that kind of stuff out and then tell you? That’s comforting because my wife is pregnant right now. I’ll have to ask the doctor how healthy the baby is looking.