What Are the Most Common Medical Errors In Medical Malpractice Claims?

When seeking medical care, you expect to begin the journey toward better health. Unfortunately, medical errors impact the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of patients every year. Johns Hopkins estimates that more than 250,000 people die because of medical errors every year in the U.S., making it the nation’s third leading cause of death.

The lawyers of Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, Ltd, have fought to protect the rights of injury victims for 45 years. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys understand the complexities of these difficult cases. If you’ve suffered because of the medical mistakes of a doctor, hospital, or other health care worker, we may be able to help. Our firm has the knowledge, skill, and resources necessary to pursue the full and fair compensation to which you may be entitled.  

Below are the most common types of medical errors in medical malpractice claims.

Childbirth Injuries

Childbirth injuries are among the most heartbreaking events a family can endure. Medical errors that occur before, during, or after childbirth can inflict catastrophic consequences on the lives of babies and their families. Common errors that cause birth injuries include:

• Failure to adequately monitor the fetus in labor and delivery
• Failure to adequately monitor and control gestational diabetes
• Medical errors during labor and delivery resulting in birth injuries
• Failure to recognize the need for Cesarean section operation
• Medical misdiagnosis during pregnancy or childbirth
• Giving wrong advice or medical treatment during pregnancy

Surgical Errors

When surgeons and other medical professionals fail to perform surgery with reasonable care or fail to follow standard procedures, routine surgeries can have life-threatening consequences and even become fatal. Common surgical errors include:

• Surgical errors that injure the spinal cord or spinal nerves can result in paralysis.
• Scalpel errors: When a surgeon’s scalpel nicks an artery or severs tendons or nerves, causing permanent loss of function or dangerous bleeding.
• Wrong operations: When surgery is performed on the wrong part of the body, or in cases when surgery is performed on the wrong patient.
• Anesthesia errors: When general, regional, or local anesthetic is improperly administered, possibly leading to severe or permanent nerve injury, brain damage, or paralysis.
• Catheter injuries: When a catheter is improperly inserted, causing injury to nerves, blood vessels, and ducts, or even introducing air into the bloodstream, potentially leading to bleeding, stroke, heart attack, or embolism.
• Post-surgical negligence: When physicians or nurses fail to follow-up and monitor post-operative patients for signs of blood clots, respiratory problems, embolism, infection, hemorrhage, cardiac distress, or other life-threatening surgical complication.

Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis

An incorrect or delayed diagnosis can lead to serious injury or death. Diagnostic errors can include:

• Wrong diagnosis: When a doctor incorrectly diagnoses an illness or injury.
• Missed diagnosis: When a doctor fails to follow-up on abnormal testing results and misses a disease or illness and gives a patient a clean bill of health.
• Delayed diagnosis: When the correct diagnosis is only made after a delay.

Failure to Treat

When doctors fail to properly treat patients with medical conditions, the consequences can be life-threatening. Examples of negligence on the part of a physician who fails to treat a patient can include:

• Failure to treat conditions in a timely manner or at all
• Failure to inform patients of available treatments for their condition
• Failure to refer patients to specialists when necessary
• Failure to perform required medical tests
• Failure to assess and monitor a patient’s condition

Prescription Errors

Mistakes involving prescription drugs can cause allergic reactions and even loss of life. These types of errors can be made by the prescribing physician or the pharmacist. Specific types of prescription errors can include:

• Selling expired medications
• Wrong drug quantity
• Inaccurate duration of medication
• Incorrect dosing instructions
• Wrong dosage formulation
• Mislabeled medication
• Failure to inform the patient about common side effects of medication
• Prescribing medications that adversely react with other medications the patient is currently taking
• Prescribing medications to which the patient is allergic

Contact a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Providence Today

If you or someone you love has suffered at the hands of a medical professional, call Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, Ltd to discuss your case for free with an experienced medical malpractice attorney in Providence. We understand the challenges you may be facing and we are committed to helping you pursue the full and fair compensation you need to move forward.

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Call (401) 273-8330 today for a free consultation. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you only pay us a fee if we reach a successful outcome in your case.