Clinic Crisis: 3 Ways a Personal Injury Can Turn into Malpractice

Doctors do their best to provide excellent care to their patients on a daily basis, but no doctor is immune to human error. Eventually, all doctors will make a mistake or two. Some mistakes are relatively minor, and patients may not even be aware of them. In the event patients do become aware of a minor issue, they may be understanding of the situation and may overlook it. However, when patients are seriously injured or otherwise affected by medical malpractice, a legal issue may develop. These are among the more common personal injuries that could result in a malpractice lawsuit.

 

The Wrong Diagnosis

One common cause of medical malpractice lawsuits is a wrong diagnosis. A medical professional, for example, may fail to identify extensive damage and may only treat a superficial condition. Perhaps the doctor did not order tests that are reasonable, and a serious injury was not identified and treated. This could possibly result in long-term or permanent disability, expensive bills, and more that possibly could have otherwise been avoided. A personal injury lawyer like those at Bellotti Law Group, P.C. could potentially represent you if you are facing this type of case or refer you if a malpractice attorney is necessary.

 

Failure to Identify Underlying Conditions

Underlying health conditions may also need to be identified in order to determine the best course of treatment. For example, you may prescribe pain medication to a patient who is recovering from an injury without understanding that the patient has a severe allergy to that medication. Many other underlying issues, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and more, must be identified before some treatments can be used. Doctors are expected to know all relevant details before diagnosing or treating the problem.

 

Surgical Errors

If you regularly perform surgeries as part of your medical services to valued patients, the possibility of making surgical errors is significant. This may include everything from operating on the wrong part of the body to leaving medical supplies inside the patient’s body. These and other errors often have expensive and painful ramifications for the patient, and the patient understandably wants to seek compensation. Some may even result in death, and a malpractice case may be filed against you by the patient’s loved ones.

 

A medical malpractice case can be expensive, and it also can have a damaging effect on your career. Fighting back against the allegations may result in a more favorable outcome. Hiring a personal injury lawyer is an excellent step to take if you want to have legal representation throughout the process.