When we seek out medical help for our injuries or illnesses, we expect that doctors, nurses, and surgeons will do their best to help us get better. While there are thousands of medical procedures that take place every day and go off without a hitch, there are unfortunately a number of procedures that do not go as planned, sometimes as a result of medical malpractice or negligence. These complications can be severe and lead to life-changing injuries or even death.
Medical malpractice cases exist to hold people accountable and to compensate victims of this negligence for economic losses and pain and suffering. Despite advances in medical technology and information, there are still a number of common medical malpractice claims that happen all too often.
Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis
A misdiagnosis is common because some illnesses may have obscure symptoms or the symptoms may share commonalities with a variety of ailments. If a doctor fails to properly diagnose the problem, then it is nearly impossible for them to implement an effective treatment plan.
Failure to properly diagnose is problematic because it leads to delays in treatment, lack of treatment altogether, or even death.
Unnecessary treatments can be costly, and in some cases can lead to complications that are more severe than the original problem.
Surgery Errors or Negligent Procedures
Unfortunately, surgery errors are an all too common occurrence when it comes to medical malpractice. While the majority of these errors are not life threatening, there can be much more serious problems involved. There have even been cases of surgeons operating on the wrong body part or the wrong patient.
Many times these are a result of miscommunication or due to tired, overworked, or stressed medical professionals.
In other cases, there have been instances of medical procedures being performed unnecessarily, like for the insertion of IVC filters, which may have questionable benefits and may be overly risky. These IVC filters are designed to be in the body on a temporary basis, but some studies have found that only 1 in 3 is removed, and some filters were deemed irretrievable.
Other surgery errors often relate to the dangers of anesthesia which can be extremely dangerous if not administered properly.
Medication Errors
Errors related to prescription drug medication is another common problem. Most often, these mistakes occur in patients over the age of 60, although they can happen in any age group. Sometimes, a doctor fails to properly review the medical history of a patient and they prescribe a drug that works detrimentally when taken in combination with a separate prescription the patient is taking, or they simply prescribe the wrong drug.
In other instances, mistakes can be made in communication between the doctor and the pharmacy resulting in a misplaced number or missing decimal point, which might result in a dose that is too high, or too low, which can be a potentially deadly consequence.
Texas Medical Malpractice
These are three of the most common medical malpractice cases we see in the state of Texas and around the country. If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, it is imperative that you contact a Dallas medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible.
In every state there are time limits, or statutes of limitations, that dictate how much long you have to bring forward a lawsuit. A medical malpractice lawsuit will not only help you recover from economic damages suffered as a result of negligence, but it will also help to hold accountable those responsible for the mistake and to ensure that it happens to no one else.
A Dallas medical malpractice attorney, like Fears Nachawati, is here to help you make sure that justice is served. Give them a call at (866) 705-7584, or pay them a visit at their Dallas office on Greenville Avenue. Offices are also available in Houston, Austin, Fort Worth, and San Antonio.