Medical malpractice can take a variety of forms. When a doctor fails to act according to the standard of care, and a patient suffers harm as a result, it may be possible to file a claim for medical malpractice. If you or a loved one has suffered due to potential medical negligence, it’s a good idea to consult with an experienced California medical malpractice lawyer to explore your options.
While medical malpractice can occur in many different areas, the leading types include the following:
Misdiagnoses.
The first step in obtaining the medical care you need is getting the appropriate diagnosis. Getting the wrong diagnoses or experiencing a delay in obtaining the correct diagnoses can significantly harm your chances of a full recovery or resolution of your condition. In some cases, failing to obtain the correct diagnosis, and not being treated for your illness can lead to catastrophic illness and potential death.
Prescription Errors.
Another area of concern is prescription/medication errors. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.3 million Americans are harmed each year due to medication errors. These include dosage errors, harmful drug interactions, and prescription mix-ups. While in some instances the errors have little impact, other times dosage errors can be fatal or cause irreversible harm.
Surgical Mistakes.
Surgical errors are also a leading source of medical malpractice. This may include wrong site surgeries and puncture wounds.
Birth injuries are also a leading source of medical malpractice claims and may result due to complications during labor and delivery. The results may be devastating and impact a child for a lifetime.
Anesthesia errors.
Anesthesia errors also rank among the top five areas of concern. While anesthesia is generally safe, when errors occur they are significant, leading to brain damage, respiratory distress and even death.
If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to any type of medical error, seeking the advice of an experienced Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyer is important to begin an investigation into the causes of your injury.
For more information, please contact the dedicated California birth injury lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.