When we’re not feeling well, we go to the doctor so they can help us feel better again. We trust that they will take the right steps to figure out what is ailing us and how to treat the problem. If a medical professional makes a mistake, they could put your health in danger. This could lead to not treating the original problem and allowing it to worsen. If you or a loved one has suffered because of medical malpractice, you have options. Seek help from Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP. Our Ottawa medical malpractice lawyer is experienced in these cases and are dedicated to helping you get justice.
A medical malpractice case may not be as straightforward as you’d think. It’s important to understand that having a bad experience with a medical professional doesn’t necessarily mean you have grounds to bring an action for medical malpractice. These cases often become incredibly complex and require an experienced professional to help assess if you have a valid claim to proceed with. Let’s take a look at examples of mistakes that could lead to injury.
What Mistakes Can Medical Professionals Make?
Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States, according to a Johns Hopkins study. The study looks at an 8-year period of data and determined that there are about 250,000 deaths per year because of medical negligence.
The medical field involves all types of jobs. Unfortunately, if any one of the people in charge of caring for you makes a mistake, your health could be put at risk. Here are a few medical errors that could put your health and wellbeing in danger:
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to recognize symptoms
- Surgical error
- Anesthesia error
- Medication error
- Birth injury
If a doctor misdiagnoses you, they may not have taken the right measures to determine what’s wrong. You may start treatment for an illness you don’t have, while the real problem continues to go untreated. The doctor may also not fully listen to what you’re telling them. They may have a pre-conceived notion of what’s ailing you and miss crucial details you share because they think they already have the answer.
In a similar category, failing to recognize symptoms could put a patient’s life in immediate danger. If someone goes to the emergency room exhibiting symptoms of heart attack or a stroke and the doctor doesn’t catch it, the patient could suffer from a major medical event.
When someone is undergoing surgery, a negligent surgeon could perform wrong-site surgery, such as operating on the wrong limb. If the hospital doesn’t have strong record-keeping, a patient could receive incorrect surgery. In some cases, tools or sponges are left inside the patient and can cause pain and infection. Those patients would need another surgical procedure to remove the items.
Another factor of some surgeries includes anesthesia, which is meant to reduce the patient’s ability to feel pain and prevent their awareness of the procedure. The anesthesiologist needs to take the person’s medical history into consideration when administering anesthesia. If someone is given too little, they could wake up or feel pain during the procedure. Someone given too much may remain unconscious or suffer from brain damage.
Medication errors can occur if the patient is given the wrong drug or dosage of drug. They could be prescribed the wrong drug or there could be a mix-up on the amount of drug to administer. If someone is given the wrong drug, they may suffer an allergic reaction, which could possibly put their life in danger. They could also be given the wrong dosage, which could lead to critical problems.
If you or a loved one was hurt, you deserve a chance at getting justice. Our Ottawa medical malpractice attorney will investigate what happened, how you were treated, and what mistake caused your injuries. We also know that medical malpractice can sometimes cost someone their life. If you’ve lost a loved one and you believe medical error caused their death, we may be able to help. We can make your loved one’s voice is heard.
How Does Medical Malpractice Affect Your Life?
After suffering because of a medical error, you may be dealing with a difficult recovery. You may have had to go back to the hospital to get additional care. If you had already missed work for your original health issue, you may be missing more work now. Medical errors can sometimes have life-long consequences, such as depending on medical equipment or needing long-term treatment. In addition to staying in the hospital, affording future care can quickly become expensive.
Dealing with financial stress while trying to recover can be overwhelming for anyone. You deserve to have someone by your side that you can trust will defend your rights. We’ll find out how you were injured and if the medical professional’s actions followed what another professional would have done in their situation. Our attorneys will consult with expert witnesses to determine whether you have a case.
If you’ve missed work, have high medical bills, have lost earnings, and have suffered, you should consider giving our office a call so we can schedule a free consultation. After we review your case, if we believe you have a valid claim, we will discuss how we can help move forward to hold those that injured you accountable. We’ll work hard on gathering evidence that you sustained wrongful injuries because of a medical professional’s negligence. Our medical malpractice lawyer will clearly present your case and do everything to make it as strong as possible. We’ll fight hard for your full and fair compensation.
