Health care professionals are supposed to help their patients feel better, so when a patient is hurt in a medical setting, it can leave them at a loss about what to do next.
Medical malpractice refers to the healthcare professional’s failure to provide the accepted standard of care, which causes harm or injury to the patient. It may be caused by negligence, intentional wrongdoing, or a breach of duty. It can happen in hospitals, clinics and private practices.
Medical malpractice examples
There are several examples of medical malpractice that are helpful to understand. A misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis happens when the healthcare professional fails to diagnose the patient’s medical condition or diagnoses it incorrectly. If this leads to delayed or incorrect treatment, it can harm the patient.
Patients can also suffer from surgical errors. This may include performing unnecessary surgery, operating on the wrong body part or leaving surgical instruments in the patient’s body. Surgical errors may also be accompanied by anesthesia errors when the patient is given too much or too little anesthesia or their vital signs are not properly monitored during surgery.
Medication errors are also common. A patient can be harmed when they are prescribed the wrong medication or wrong dosage. These are only some examples of medical malpractice.
Damages
If a patient is harmed by medical malpractice, they may pursue compensation. They may be entitled to damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.
The amount of damages will vary, depending on the overall effect of the medical malpractice on the patient.