Going to the doctor should make you feel better, not worse. When it happens, you may either have an unfortunate outcome or a case of medical malpractice.
It may prove difficult to differentiate between malpractice or unintended consequence after medical treatment. Since both may prove detrimental and produce long-term implications, learning what rises to malpractice may help set the stage for getting more help with coping.
What is medical malpractice?
A medical malpractice claim means that a provider or facility acted negligently when treating you. A failure to treat you may also rise to malpractice standards. If another provider tells you that the outcome was avoidable had the prior practitioner done things differently, you likely have grounds for a malpractice suit.
What are the most common types of negligent acts?
The most common type of malpractice is a failure to diagnose. When you present to the doctor multiple times with signs and symptoms, and the doctor does not pursue every avenue to get to the bottom of things, it may rise to malpractice. This is especially true if later, your identified condition relates to the earlier symptoms ignored or overlooked by the original provider. As USA Today reports, injuries to newborns and their mothers continue to occur even with medical advancements, a trend attributed to negligence by physicians. Other examples of medical negligence include:
- Medication mix-ups that result in an adverse reaction or overdose
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Misdiagnosis that delays treatment
Dealing with a diagnosis or injury resulting from malpractice is difficult. If negligence caused it, you may want to pursue a claim against the responsible party to help offset costs.
