Medical malpractice is a serious occurrence. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are required to give reasonably skilled care. When they don’t, serious illness, infections, disabilities, and even death. The Ken Nunn Law Office has a team of medical malpractice attorneys ready to talk to you at any time of the day or night. Case reviews are free. Let us help you understand your potential rights.
Understanding the most common medical malpractice claims is important. It helps you recognize whether you or someone you love was affected by medical malpractice. Medical malpractice boils down to the legal concept of negligence. However, that’s not always easy to prove. It requires expert witnesses in the medical industry who would be considered a peer of the doctor or nurse who treated you. This is important because doctors and nurses often specialize in a certain area. Even nursing assistants and surgical techs often get specialized training in certain areas. Having the right experts to review your medical records and who understand the standard of care for your particular condition can be a critical part of your claim.
Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis
A misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis doesn’t always amount to medical malpractice. However, it is one of the most common claims. Generally, the misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis results in a deadly situation or a medical problem that results in permanent consequences. For adults, this could be a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis related to cancer, heart attacks, or strokes. The most common misdiagnosed or delayed diagnosis in children is meningitis. All of these conditions can result in serious and permanent injuries.
Injuries to Mother or Child During the Birthing Process
Childbirth injuries are one of the most common medical malpractice claims. They can be complex. If you believe that you or your baby suffered a childbirth injury, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney in Indianapolis.
Childbirth injuries can be caused because of malpractice or negligence during the time that the mother was undergoing prenatal care. Mostly, this occurs when the doctor or OB doesn’t recognize or ignores dangerous situations including preeclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, diseases that could be passed on to the unborn child, and problems that could result in birth defects.
Childbirth injuries may also occur during the birthing. Mistakes or oversights made by doctors, nurses, and even nursing assistants can cause serious or deadly consequences for the mother or the baby. The most common childbirth injuries result when signs of fetal distress are ignored, the umbilical cord becomes tangled, the baby is large, inappropriate use of forceps or vacuum, and ignoring signs of placental abruption. While this isn’t a complete list, these situations can cause permanent damage to the baby, including hypoxia to the brain or other organs. This can lead to permanent brain damage and developmental delays. Birth injuries can cost a family in excess of a million dollars depending on the severity of the condition and the various treatments the baby may need over the course of their life.
Medication Errors
Medication errors can happen in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities when the prescription is made by the doctor, or because of a mistake made by the pharmacist. Most often, medication errors happen to people who are over the age of 60. Dosage errors are common as well as filling or administering the wrong medication. Medication errors can be deadly.
Surgical Errors
Although most surgical errors are not life-threatening, they can still result in the need for additional surgery, pain, and nerve damage. Serious surgical errors can result in death. Surgical errors are often preventable with proper communication between the medical professionals involved.
Errors with Anesthesia
Errors that take place during the anesthesia process can be deadly. These errors often happen when the anesthesiologist doesn’t thoroughly read the patient’s medical records and prescribes something that causes an allergic reaction. It could also be caused by administering too much or not enough anesthesia, failure to monitor vital signs, or improper intubation.
Free Case Evaluation by a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Indianapolis
If you or someone you love was hurt because of a medical error, call an experienced medical malpractice attorney in Indianapolis: Ken Nunn. The Ken Nunn Law Office provides free case evaluations to help you learn about your potential rights. To learn more about medical malpractice and to schedule your free case review, contact us now!
