Common Causes of Malpractice Litigation

The legal process for defending malpractice is a complex procedure. The question of whether or not an error is malpractice based on the ability of the patient to prove four legal elements which include professional duty and breach of this duty; harm resulting from the breach; and tangible damages.

Plaintiffs must also prove these elements by presenting evidence like expert testimony, depositions and discovery.

Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose

Failure to correctly diagnose an injury or illness accurately can lead to serious complications, or even death. It is a typical reason for medical malpractice. To establish negligence, a patient or their lawyer needs to prove that a seasoned doctor in similar circumstances would not have misdiagnosed the condition.

Misdiagnosis does not always constitute negligence. Even highly trained and experienced doctors make mistakes, so the claim of malpractice must be backed by other elements such as breach, proximate causation, and actual injury. If a physician fails to sterilize his equipment prior the time he administers anesthesia, and the patient becomes infected because of this, he could be found to be negligent.

In the majority of instances, lawsuits claiming malpractice will be filed in the state trial court where the alleged malpractice took place. Federal courts can be able to handle the case in certain circumstances. A case can be brought before a federal court in certain circumstances. For example it could involve an issue regarding the statute of limitations or when the parties have different citizenships. Certain claims are settled through binding arbitration. This is a less formal process that involves professional decision makers. It is designed to minimize expenses, speed up the legal process, and remove the risks associated with large juries. Arbitration is not accessible in all cases of malpractice.

Dosage for a drug that is not correct

Medication mistakes, also referred to as medication errors, are one of the main causes of medical malpractice lawsuits. These errors are caused by a physician submitting a prescription in a wrong format or giving the patient the wrong dosage. These mistakes are often avoidable. Based on the circumstances the hospital or its staff, a pharmacist or other health care providers could be held accountable for the harms suffered by a patient who was given the wrong dosage of a drug.

A doctor may prescribe the wrong medicine because of a misdiagnosis or simply making a mistake in the prescription. A health care professional could also administer the wrong dose due to an interruption in communication for instance, when the nurse reads the doctor's handwritten script in error or the pharmacist commits an error in filling out the prescription. In other situations, a doctor could delay the proper medication to the patient, resulting in their condition becoming worse.

A victim must prove, for the sake of winning a malpractice claim that the medical professional breached their professional standards and that their injuries were directly attributed to the negligence. This requires medical experts to be present. Moreover, a medical malpractice case must demonstrate the extent of a victim's injuries and the damages they suffered because of the negligence. This includes the cost of a person's treatment and any wages lost. In general, the greater a person's losses are and the greater the value of the claim will be.

Unskillful Procedure

This type of incident is not uncommon. It may seem like a challenge for medical professionals to carry out the wrong procedure on patients, but it does happen. The surgeon who makes this mistake can be held accountable for negligence. Patients who are injured due to an error during surgery may be held accountable for any mistakes that were made during the procedure.

A health care professional who is accused of malpractice must demonstrate that the patient was injured because of an action or inability to take action. To establish this the legal team of the patient must prove that: (1) the doctor was in an obligation to provide care or treatment; (2) that the doctor violated that duty; (3) that there is a direct causal relationship between the breach and the injury and (4) that the injury causes damages that the legal system could address.

A breach of the duty of care has no significance unless it causes injury which is the reason medical malpractice lawsuits are generally made based on a law called "res ipsa loquitur." This law says that, in a majority of cases certain injuries are obvious and recognizable that they are only explained by negligent actions.

Based on the facts of the case, the plaintiff (the patient or their legally designated representative) or their attorney can present the claim to federal or state court. Most malpractice cases are filed in state court, however in certain circumstances medical malpractice lawsuits may be filed in federal district court.

Wrong Surgery

Wrong-site surgery is a rare mistake, but it could be considered medical malpractice if the procedure is performed on the wrong part of the body. This kind of error is often caused by miscommunication between the members of a surgical team or production pressure that leads to an individual surgeon being assigned multiple surgeries at the same time. In these cases the surgeon isn't all-in on his responsibility for an incorrect-site procedure due to the legal principle known as "res ipsa loquitur" which means that the effect of the error speaks for itself and cannot be attributed to negligence.

When a patient is injured during surgery that is performed on the wrong site it is possible that he or she will require additional procedures to fix problems exacerbated by the surgical error. Patients and their families are left with costly medical bills. It is crucial to take these costs into account when calculating the financial impact of medical malpractice claims.

Surgeons are typically accountable for surgical errors because they are the individuals who are responsible for properly prepping for the operation as well as double-checking the patient's charts and medical records, coordinating effectively with the other members of the medical team, and making sure the incision is placed at the right place. In some instances hospitals or anesthesiologists can also be held liable. Medical malpractice claims are generally filed in state courts, but under certain circumstances they may be transferred to federal courts.