Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Doctors and other care providers must use a high level of care when treating patients. Failure to exercise due care is the foundation of all claims for negligence. In the context of personal injury claims against medical care providers, any breach of this duty that amounts to negligence can be grounds for a claim for medical malpractice. There are many different types of errors and oversights that can potentially constitute medical malpractice.
Failure to Diagnose
Patients rely on physicians as diagnosticians to identify a medical cause for what ails them. Failing to take appropriate steps when making a diagnosis may have dramatic repercussions. If a patient does not learn of a condition in a timely manner, it may be more difficult or even impossible to treat effectively. Likewise, receiving treatment for a condition that a person does not actually have may involve considerable expense or physical hardships.
Failure to Warn
Physicians who are treating someone for a health condition must provide adequate warning about the possibility of any risks that could foreseeably result from treatment. Not providing sufficient warning prevents patients from making informed decisions about things such as procedures or medications. If a physician had given a patient appropriate warning, he or she may not have consented to treatment.
Medication Errors
A mistake with a medication from a prescribing physician or RN can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences. Prescribing the wrong medication can create acute or long-term problems. Also, an interaction with a medication that somebody is already taking can create a major health episode. In addition, an incorrect dosage can have severe results.
Procedural Errors
Failing to take a key safety precaution can cause errors when a patient has an in-office procedure or surgery. If a mistake negatively affects the outcome of treatment or causes unnecessary complications, it may signify that malpractice took place.
Improper Instructions
Patients rely on doctors to help them get well, but a lot of the recovery process may depend on a patient’s direct efforts. Nevertheless, it is up to doctors to tell patients what they need to do to care for themselves correctly after a procedure. A doctor performing a procedure has to advise patients about what aftercare they absolutely have to do in addition to what they must not do.
Ultimately, there are numerous forms of medical malpractice. Any dereliction of duty in the course of treatment may result in serious bodily harm to a patient and thereby amount to malpractice. In many cases, if you believe to be a victim of a medical mistake that led to bodily harm, we recommend that you consult with a Philadelphia Medical Malpractice lawyer.
A medical malpractice lawyer, like those from Wieand Law Firm, LLC and other top firms, knows state-specific laws pertaining to this area, and will work with you to evaluate the individual needs of your case.
