Medical malpractice can take a variety of forms, a doctor may make an error during the labor and delivery process, a preventable mistake can occur during surgery, or a physician may prescribe the wrong type, or too much, of a needed medication. A recent study found that when it comes to children, the failure to diagnose, or a missed diagnosis, is the leading causing of medical malpractice.
According to the a study put out by The Doctors Company, the most medical malpractice claims for children aged 1 month-17 years arise out of the failure to diagnosed a condition often as a result of doctors, nurses, or other health care providers making faulty assessments concerning the children’s health. This was a combination of communication errors between health care providers (both among themselves and with the parents/patient) as well as systemic errors were to blame.
For infants (those children under 1 month), misdiagnoses ranked the 2d leading cause of medical malpractice, following obstetric injuries.
For all patients, brain injuries were the leading type of harm sustained.
When a preventable medical error harms your child, it may be possible to file a medical malpractice lawsuit to recover damages. Where an injury is catastrophic, the resulting harm may last a lifetime, requiring years of therapy and medical care.
If you believe your child has been injured due to a failure to diagnose and treat any medical condition, it is important to seek legal guidance immediately. For more information or an immediate consultation, please contact the dedicated California birth injury lawyers at Bostwick Peterson for an immediate consultation.