Birmingham Medical Malpractice Attorney

Types of Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice stems from negligence. Many common negligence issues include the following:

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. Approximately one-third of medical malpractice cases involve diagnosis errors. Diagnosis issues can mean that a patient doesn’t receive timely treatment, causing their condition to worsen.
• Failure to treat. This occurs when the doctor fails to appropriately treat the patient. This may include not ordering the right tests or medications or releasing a patient too soon from the hospital.
• Prescription drug errors. Medication errors can cause harm and worsen a patient’s condition. A mistake can occur by prescribing the wrong dose or the wrong medication altogether.
• Surgical or procedural errors. Surgeries are major procedures, and one mistake can cause irreparable harm. Some common errors include performing surgery on the wrong body part, leaving items inside the patient’s body, and anesthesia errors.
• Childbirth injuries. While having a baby can be an exciting time, a lot can go wrong during labor and delivery. If a doctor fails to identify fetal distress or perform a C-section, the baby could suffer harm. Improper use of forceps, vacuum, and other tools can also lead to injuries.

It’s important to understand that a bad outcome is not necessarily medical malpractice. For example, if a patient’s condition worsens or is considered untreatable, it’s not the doctor’s fault. Some diseases, like cancer, are not curable, so if the patient dies, the doctor cannot be held liable.

The same goes for cosmetic procedures. Just because you don’t like your new nose job doesn’t mean you can sue your doctor for medical malpractice. There needs to be negligence involved, and it must be proven that your doctor did not meet the standard of care.