Two Common Types of Medical Malpractice

Malpractice is a very serious issue in the medical industry, and few patients understand their exposure to the risk of malpractice at the hands of a physician they trust. The following are just two common types of medical malpractice, but keep in mind that there are countless other types of cases every day.

Prescription Drug Errors
By far, one of the most common forms of medical malpractice is prescription drug errors, and these may often be fatal. Many prescription drug errors are unreported or unnoticed by patients, but when a prescription drug error causes harm to a patient, it’s important to speak up.

There are a wide variety of individuals who may be held liable in such cases, including:

• Doctors and physicians who prescribe medication
  
• Healthcare or nursing staff who administer drugs (prescription and otherwise)
  
• Pharmacists who fill prescriptions
  
• Prescription drug companies, manufacturers, and marketers
  

Additionally, these individuals and entities can be held liable for a number of errors, such as:

• Prescribing or administering the wrong medication
  
• Prescribing or administering the wrong dosage of medication
  
• Failure to reasonably foresee detrimental complications (i.e. harmful drug interaction)
  
• Manufacturing and marketing a defective or unreasonably unsafe medication
  
• Writing illegible prescriptions that lead to patient harm
  

Surgical or Diagnosis Errors
Diagnosis errors may include misdiagnosis, late diagnosis, and failure to diagnose at all. During surgery, the doctor may accidentally cause damage to a nerve, internal organ, blood vessel, or other body part that can result in severe injury and later medical problems. Sometimes, these mistakes aren’t visible until weeks or months after the patient has had the surgery.

If you think you or a loved one have experienced medical malpractice, contact us for a free consultation to discuss your case.