When we seek the assistance of a medical professional, we put our trust in them and expect that they will help us improve our health or address whatever ails us. Unfortunately, this trust is often betrayed when doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff fail to uphold the accepted standard of care and act negligently. While some errors are minor, many are often life-threatening or result in permanent damage.
Numerous mistakes can be made by medical professionals, though some happen much more frequently than others. Below is a list of some of the most common medical malpractice cases:
- Misdiagnosis: It is estimated that at least 30% of all medical malpractice cases involve misdiagnosis. Common misdiagnoses include stroke, TMJ, heart attack, heart disease, and hypothyroidism. Additionally, these claims also include a failure to diagnose or a delayed diagnosis, which could be potentially fatal. If an illness is not properly detected in time, a patient cannot receive the proper treatment, and the condition can deteriorate to a point where recovery is no longer possible.
- Prescription drug errors: This type of error can occur at many levels of care. From the doctor who initially wrote the prescription to the pharmacy that dispensed it, egregious errors can be made that can result in a dangerous combination of drugs that injures a patient or even death. Mistakes can also lead to overprescribing or underprescribing.
- Failure to treat: In some cases, a doctor or medical professional might diagnose a problem accurately, but fail to treat it, neglects to refer the patient to a specialist, or prematurely discharges the patient from care without scheduling a follow-up.
- Surgical errors: Any time a patient undergoes a surgical procedure, they are usually aware that some risks are involved. However, some errors are avoidable and should never occur. These types of mistakes can be made by surgeons, nurses, or anesthesiologists and include vascular damage, retained surgical instruments or sponges, mistaken incisions, wrong-site surgery, wrong-patient surgery, and more.
- Birth injuries: It is estimated that about 20% of medical malpractice lawsuits are filed against OBGYNs, which is more than any other type of doctor. Some birth injuries are minor and can clear up within a matter of weeks, but some are more severe and can often last a lifetime, requiring ongoing treatment and care.
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ATTORNEYS IN TULSA
At Richardson Richardson Boudreaux, PLLC, our medical malpractice attorneys in Tulsa have recovered millions of dollars in compensation on behalf of those who were injured as a result of a medical professional’s negligent actions. If you sustained an injury that was caused by a doctor, nurse, or another healthcare provider, it is crucial that you seek the skilled legal assistance of a medical malpractice attorney to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
Get started on your case today and contact us at 918-492-7674 to request your free initial case review. If we cannot win your case, you will not owe us any legal fees!