Types of Hospital Errors
When we go to the hospital, we expect to receive the best possible medical care. Unfortunately, medical professionals can make mistakes, and these kinds of mistakes can prove extremely dire for a variety of reasons. This is why our personal injury attorneys are so focused on helping clients who have suffered as a result of a medical mistake in a hospital.
About Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice refers to a broad classification of lawsuits in which a medical professional or medical institution of some kind acts in an irresponsible manner resulting in injury to a patient.
How Medical Malpractice Applies to Hospital Errors
There are many kinds of mistakes that can occur in hospitals from diagnostics to surgical care. When avoidable medical mishaps occur, it's of the utmost importance that those affected seek legal help.
How serious is the problem?
Very serious.
Recent research from The Journal of Patient Safety suggest that between 210,000 and 440,000 patients die as a result of hospital errors each year. This means that they enter the hospital for care, but the negligence of medical professionals results in fatal injury.
To provide some perspective on these numbers, this would make hospital errors the third-leading cause of death in the United States behind cancer and heart disease.
These numbers are staggering and totally unacceptable, which is why our medical malpractice attorneys fight so diligently. Below are a few examples of hospital errors.
Improper Diagnosis
By receiving proper diagnosis of a health problem, patients will be able to receive the treatments that they need to prevent further health issues. Sadly, diagnosis may be delayed or incorrect.
Birth Injuries
Giving birth should be a wonderful experience, but there are cases in which medical professionals act negligently, leading to serious injury of a newborn. This should not be tolerated as these birth injuries can affect a baby for the rest of his or her life.
Medication Errors
While in a hospital, you may be given various drugs to keep you well or prepare you for further treatment. There have been tragic mix-ups when it comes to medication, which can sometimes prove fatal.
Anesthesia Errors
When we are under anesthetic, we are supposed to be free from worry and from pain. When an anesthetic error occurs, patients may receive too much anesthetic or even too little. In the case of the latter, patients have been known to experience excruciating pain during surgery, helpless to do anything about it.
Surgical Errors
We've heard of many different surgical errors that occur at hospitals that should never be tolerated. Sometimes the wrong part of the body is operated on, or the surgeon acts negligently and leaves surgical instruments in the body. These are never to be tolerated given the responsibility these medical professionals should have to their patients.
Learn More About Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
For more information about medical malpractice cases and how our legal team can help you, be sure to contact our Brooklyn, NY personal injury lawyers today. The entire team here looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you achieve the best possible results in a court of law. We are here for you.
