Unfortunately, medical errors in hospitals and physician’s offices are considered the third leading cause of death in the United States. This is a disturbing statistic that raises many questions about our medical system and those in which we are entrusting with our lives. Right behind heart disease and cancer, medical negligence is the cause of somewhere between 200,000 and 400,000 deaths each year, which is a shocking statistic.
A large number of health care liability cases happen because of overwhelmed staff or a lack of trained personnel. Medical mistakes oftentimes lead to devastating injuries, many of which are complex and should only be handled by an experienced medical malpractice lawyer.
Below you will find information on the most common forms of medical malpractice:
Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose Illness
This is one of the most common medical errors that can occur for numerous reasons. Whether the physician is not adequately trained to properly identify illness and disease, or if the physician has been placed in a situation where he is guided to make a decision about a patient’s health due to monetary reasons, a misdiagnosis could be catastrophic for the patient.
Missed Test Results
In many cases, physicians either fail to order specific medical tests or neglect to read the results with a careful eye. This can result in a misdiagnosis of a less serious condition than it really is. Because of this, a patient’s condition may worsen and they may not receive the treatment that is required in order to the cure the condition.
Drug Errors
Drug errors account for between 6 and 20 percent of all medical malpractice claims. Whether there is an error in prescribing a medication, with the dosage, or in the administration, drug errors are very serious and can lead be fatal in many cases.
Anesthesia Mistakes
It is the physician’s responsibility to note the patient’s characteristics and condition before they go under anesthesia. The patient’s age, medical condition, past reactions, type of surgery and medications they are currently on should all be taken into consideration before surgery. If this is not done and a patient is not properly monitored during surgery, there is a good chance of them having a heart attack or experiencing respiratory failure.
Medical malpractice claims are very serious and can be extremely complicated, which is why may be beneficial to enlist the services of a personal injury lawyer. At AMA Law, our team of personal injury lawyers have handled numerous medical malpractice claims, working hard to ensure our clients receive the compensation and justice they deserve. If you or someone you love has been the victim of medical negligence resulting in injury or even death, please do not hesitate to contact our Oklahoma law firm today.