Overland Park Medical Malpractice Lawyers

What are the different types of medical malpractice?

There are several examples of medical malpractice. Some forms of medical malpractice are easy to detect, like an injury taking place after a recent surgery. Other forms are more difficult to recognize, like a misdiagnosis. Some common forms of medical malpractice are:

• Medication errors. Patients can suffer life-altering injuries when they are prescribed the wrong medication. Common examples of medication errors include dosage mistakes, giving the patient the wrong medication, or pharmacy errors. s
• Surgical errors. Surgical errors can occur during or post-surgery. Some examples of surgical errors include puncturing or damaging internal organs, performing surgery on the wrong body part, or performing a surgery in unsanitary conditions. Medical professionals can even be held liable for failing to provide suitable post-surgical care to a patient.
• Mistakes during labor and delivery. Birth injuries are injuries that babies receive during the delivery process. Birth injuries can be sustained during the pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Doctors and nurses can cause birth injuries through actions like failing to perform a C-section at the appropriate time or damaging the baby’s head during the delivery process.
• Anesthesia errors. Patients who are prescribed anesthesia must be given the accurate amount needed for surgery. If the calculation is even slightly off, it can cause the patient to experience permanent injuries like brain damage or even death. Medical professionals can commit these types of errors by administering the wrong dosage, but also by failing to review the patient’s medical history or failing to accurately monitor the patient’s vital signs during the surgery.
• Failing to diagnose a condition. One of the most common forms of medical malpractice involves failing to diagnose a condition that can cause a patient serious harm. Medical professionals can commit these types of errors by either misdiagnosing a patient’s condition or by delaying a diagnosis. Depending on the circumstances, the patient’s condition can worsen and he or she can suffer additional harm.
• Failing to prevent an infection. This type of malpractice error occurs when medical professionals fail to maintain protocols and procedures that prevent infections from spreading, like washing hands or wearing masks. Because infections easily spread within healthcare facilities, medical professionals put the health and safety of patients at risk when they fail to maintain the necessary sanitary standards. Failing to diagnose and treat a condition is also a form of medical negligence, and can lead to a life-threatening condition called sepsis, allowing the infection to spread to other organs or part of the body.