Types of Medical Malpractice to Be Aware Of

There are many situations in which negligence or oversight may be committed on behalf of your doctor. Doctors are still people too, and are capable of making a mistake when it comes to their patient’s health. However, being human does not mean a doctor gets to make a mistake without the subsequent consequences. A patient who trusted their doctor to provide the best quality medical care should not have to suffer as a result of a misjudgement.

An attorney can empathize with how painful a medical malpractice situation may be for you, and those who love you. It is possible that you had complete faith in your doctor, and he or she let you down. In the article to follow, we have listed the most common types of medical malpractice scenarios that patients should be aware of.

Failure to Diagnose (Or Misdiagnosis)

A patient may have a solid foundation for a medical malpractice claim against the doctor, if another competent doctor would have not made the same mistake. A misdiagnosis can also occur if the doctor did not examine all aspects of the patient’s health, misinterpreted laboratory tests, or otherwise committed a detrimental oversight. If there was a misdiagnosis, then the incorrect treatment plan was likely chosen as well.  

Improper Patient Treatment Plan

Medical malpractice can occur if the doctor treated the patient in a much different way than another competent doctor would have, which led to a worsening of the injury or condition. Another way medical malpractice may have occurred is if the doctor chose the right treatment plan, but administered it inadequately.

Lack of Warning Regarding Known Risks

Doctors must uphold the duty of warning their patients about certain risks for procedures, treatments or other forms of medical care. By being transparent about the associated risks, the patient can either elect to go through with the treatment or not. It can be unlawful if the doctor intentionally or carelessly withheld risks, meaning the patient was perhaps not able to make the best decision in regards to their own health.

Keeping an Eye Out for Warning Signs

If you feel as if any of the three medical malpractice scenarios above apply to you or a loved one, we highly recommend meeting with a medical malpractice lawyer Salt Lake City, UT trusts before you have made an official complaint. If a medical organization gets word that a huge error was made which greatly hurt a patient, staff may attempt to destroy key evidence to avoid paying a great sum within a lawsuit. Before taking action, we suggest contacting our law firm for advice first.

Thank you to our friends and contributors at Rasmussen & Miner Attorneys at Law for their insight into medical malpractice and personal injury.