What Are the Results of Medical Malpractice?
Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran
Medical malpractice is surprisingly common, even as hospitals and clinics try to improve their oversight and management practices. Doctors and nurses are often overworked, and sometimes make mistakes simply due to fatigue and forgetfulness.
Even minor errors can have life-altering consequences for patients. An oversight during childbirth, for example, can cause birthing complications to go undetected, resulting in the death or serious impairment of the infant. Older adults are also at serious risk of complications as they undergo treatment.
It’s important to understand the risks as well as your rights whenever you go into a medical procedure or even a routine check-up. If you or your loved one may have been affected by medical malpractice, consider seeking the help of lawyers specializing in medical malpractice at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. today. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your new medical bills and other costs.
Malpractice in Dental Settings
Dental offices are required to completely sanitize all tools and equipment between use on each patient. Dental tools must be rinsed, cleansed with germicide, and heat-sterilized in an autoclave to fully ensure the safety of the equipment. If tools are not properly sterilized, patients can be exposed to a range of viruses, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, or influenza.
In recent years, there have been several cases of patients being harmed by doctors who did not properly sanitize their dental tools. When this happens, it has huge potential to become grounds for a medical malpractice claim.
Another potential cause of malpractice is a dentist causing damage to a patient’s tooth or jaw, possibly affecting their ability to chew or talk for the rest of their lives. Although these accidents are rare, they can result in high medical bills as the patient seeks treatment for the new injuries.
Risk of Malpractice in Surgery
Even routine surgeries can carry surprising risks for malpractice. Although patient identification procedures have improved in recent years, surgeons can still accidentally perform the wrong procedure on the wrong patient. This can have huge consequences for patients, especially if an otherwise healthy organ is removed.
Another potential area for concern is the risk of surgeons’ hands slipping during the procedure. Cauterizing tools and other equipment can harm patients if used incorrectly or dropped on the patient during surgery. These injuries can cause lacerations, burns, or worse, and may even require reconstructive or plastic surgery to repair later.
Birth Injuries
Sadly, medical negligence can even happen during childbirth. Labor is a dangerous time for the mother and the fetus, and they must be closely monitored to ensure there is no need to resort to an emergency C-section. No medical professional is perfect, but there is a standard of care that should be adhered to at all times during childbirth to avoid medical errors.
If nurses and doctors don’t follow procedures correctly during childbirth, serious complications can include blood loss and hemorrhage in the mother and oxygen deprivation in the child. This can result in permanent disabilities like cerebral palsy or seizure conditions.
Childbirth is a stressful time for mothers, and you may not clearly remember everything that was going on around you. You may need to consult with medical experts, including your legal team, to piece together your medical records and your memories of what happened during labor. From there, your medical malpractice lawyer will determine how and when medical malpractice occurred.
Failure to Diagnose
Failure to diagnose can be fatal, especially for older adults who are at risk of cancer or serious heart conditions. Doctors have an obligation to order the correct tests and follow-up examinations for patients, even if their symptoms are vague and could be explained by a minor condition or even hypochondria.
If you think your doctor is being dismissive of your symptoms and not ordering the correct care for you, get a second opinion. You may eventually have a medical malpractice suit against the first doctor, but it helps if you get a second opinion and start the correct care for your condition as soon as possible.
Compensation for Medical Bills and More
Medical malpractice often causes a new set of injuries or a poor prognosis due to failure to diagnose in time. This can cause families to rack up new medical bills that aren’t their fault. You may also suffer lost wages or a permanent inability to work as a result of your injuries.
A medical malpractice lawsuit may be the only way to get financial relief. Although the consequences of your doctor or nurse’s actions can never be undone, you can at least get compensation for past and future medical costs, as well as pain, suffering, and lost wages.
The exact amount you qualify for will vary widely depending on the severity of your case and how much it has affected your ability to work. However, in some cases, plaintiffs have been awarded over a million dollars in compensation for their past and future needs.
Starting Your Case
In Michigan, the statute of limitations on medical malpractice cases is just two years from the date of the injury or six months from when the injury is discovered. Although Michigan courts will honor the later of these two date options depending on the specifics of your case, you still may not have much time to file.
If you feel that you or your loved one might have been injured as a patient, contact Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. Our law firm specializes in medical malpractice cases, and we have in-depth knowledge of health care issues and how to deal with insurance companies.
Remember, it’s important to seek justice and compensation for yourself and your loved ones as soon as possible. Call us today at 866-MICH-LAW to receive a free case evaluation from our experienced medical malpractice attorneys.
Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.