Unfortunately, medical malpractice is far more common that most people realize. In fact, medical malpractice is now the third leading cause of death in the country. Each year, over 400,000 people die because of medical errors in the United States. Around 80,000 to 100,000 people die because of misdiagnoses alone, with another 195,000 passing away because of preventable mistakes. A substantial additional number are seriously injured. In fact, one out of every three people will experience some type of medical error during a medical visit; however, most are not even aware of it.
If you believe you have been the victim of medical malpractice, our legal team at Drake & Collopy, P.C. is ready to help. We can investigate your claim and ultimately help you recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to discuss your situation.
The following are some of the more common types of medical malpractice:
Delayed or Missed Diagnoses
When the diagnosis of your medical condition is delayed or missed, it means you don’t receive the treatment needed to recover from your condition. It also means your condition may become substantially worse and/or may no longer be treatable.
The following are common diagnostic mistakes:
- A medical professional fails to diagnose you with a medical condition even though you have symptoms that are consistent with the given condition.
- A medical professional fails to diagnose you with a medical condition even though the condition was or should have been apparent from diagnostic exams that have been performed.
- A medical professional diagnoses you with a disease or condition you don’t have.
Delayed or missed diagnoses happen often. In fact, it’s estimated that approximately 28% of all cancer cases in the United States are misdiagnosed. Heart attacks and strokes are also conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed. This often results in patients not receiving treatment in a timely manner which allows their condition to worsen.
Pregnancy Malpractice Cases
Malpractice related to pregnancy can occur while you are planning a pregnancy, pregnant, or when you give birth. These types of errors can result in the child developing a serious disability, like cerebral palsy. In other situations, it can lead to the child’s or mother’s death.
An example is parents who have prenatal genetic testing done to determine if the child is likely to have certain conditions. Once the test results are in, a medical provider may incorrectly report no risk of a condition or disease; however, this turns out not to be the case when the child is born. In this situation, the parents may be able to file a medical malpractice claim or a wrongful birth lawsuit.
When a woman is pregnant, she relies on her obstetrician to monitor her development and pregnancy. However, the obstetrician may fail to identify issues like birth defects, gestational diabetes, an ectopic pregnancy, and other serious issues.
Mistakes also occur while giving birth. Midwives, nurses, and doctors can make mistakes that result in serious and sometimes catastrophic birth injuries. These mistakes may lead to permanent injuries or brain damage if the baby is deprived of oxygen.
Medication Errors
Medication is given to a patient to help improve or stabilize their condition. However, if mistakes are made in prescribing or administering the medication, serious harm may result. It’s estimated that more than 1.5 million people are injured by medication errors every year.
Medication errors can occur if a doctor gives a patient a new prescription that triggers an allergic reaction or that interacts dangerously with another medication they take. Harm may also occur if a patient is given the wrong drug or dosage or not given medication on the proper schedule.
Some other types of medication errors include prescribing medications for use besides what it is intended for and not monitoring the patient, mislabeling medications, and miscommunication.
Anesthesia Errors
An anesthesia error occurs if anesthesiologists, nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals don’t monitor their patient’s vital signs or level of consciousness during a surgical procedure or if they fail to properly inspect and maintain the equipment used. If a device malfunctions or the anesthesia is administered improperly, patients may experience brain damage, a heart attack, stroke, psychological harm, or even death in some cases.
Contact Our Medical Malpractice Attorneys for Help with Your Claim
If you believe you may have a medical malpractice claim, our experienced attorneys are ready to help. Our legal team serves victims in the Chicago area and throughout Illinois. Contact us without delay so we can investigate your case and, if we determine the case has merit, get to work right away to help you recover the full compensation you are entitled to. You can count on our experienced legal team to fight aggressively on your behalf.
