When we visit the doctor or go to the hospital, we expect medical professionals to care for us when we are ill or injured. But when a medical provider makes a mistake, deviates from acceptable standards of care, and causes injuries and other losses, they should be held accountable for the harm that results. Medical malpractice occurs when a medical provider deviates from acceptable standards of care and causes harm to a patient. Errors by medical providers can occur in virtually any setting, but some types of medical malpractice errors are more common than others.

Six Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice Claims

Medical malpractice remains an ongoing problem in the United States. It is the third leading cause of death, behind heart disease and cancer. Here, we identify the six most common types of medical malpractice.

1—Misdiagnosis or Missed Diagnosis

Misdiagnosis occurs when a doctor diagnoses a patient with the wrong condition or fails to diagnose a medical condition at all.

Misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis rises to the level of medical malpractice when the patient’s condition worsens because they did not receive medical care and treatment for their actual illness, or they were harmed by the unnecessary treatment they received for a medical condition they do not actually have.

2—Surgical Errors and Anesthesia Errors

Many surgical mistakes rise to the level of medical malpractice. Some of these are known as “never events,” meaning the medical profession acknowledges they should never occur. One of the most common “never events” is leaving a sponge or surgical instrument inside the body after surgery. Other examples of surgical errors include operating on the wrong body part, injuring another part during a surgical procedure, and infections that occur after surgery.

Many surgical procedures are performed under local or general anesthesia. Mistakes by the anesthesiologist can have devastating results, including brain injuries and death. An anesthesiologist can commit medical malpractice if they fail to review the patient’s medical history for possible risk factors, administer the wrong amount of anesthesia, or fail to monitor the patient’s vital signs during surgery.

3—Medication Errors

Medical providers can be held accountable for errors in prescribing or administering medication. The doctor may be liable for mistakes that happen during the prescription process, while nurses can be liable for mistakes that occur during the administration of the medication. Medication errors can cause adverse side effects or even death, especially if they interact with another medication a patient is taking.

4—Birth Injuries

When the OB/GYN or another member of the labor and delivery staff is negligent, the result can be devastating for the mother or baby. Examples of medical malpractice leading to birth injuries include:

• Inadequate prenatal care
• Failure to diagnose serious complications
• Incorrectly using assistive devices resulting in cerebral palsy, shoulder dystocia, or brachial plexus injuries
• Performing an unnecessary C-section
• Failing to monitor the mother or baby during delivery
• Anesthesia errors

5—Failure to Treat

Failure to treat occurs when a medical provider agrees to treat a patient, but the patient does not receive appropriate medical care. Failure to treat can occur when a doctor has too many patients or is not diligent enough in treating their patients. Examples of failure to treat include:

• Releasing a patient from the hospital too soon
• Failing to provide instructions for appropriate follow-up care
• Failure to order appropriate medical tests
• Failing to consider a patient’s history when prescribing medication or a treatment plan

6—Failure to Treat or Prevent Infections

Unsanitary hospital conditions can lead to infections, which, if left untreated, can result in dangerous and life-threatening illnesses. An infection can occur if the hospital is not clean or if the doctor uses surgical equipment that has not been sterilized. A doctor can also be liable for medical malpractice if they diagnose an infection but fail to treat it properly.

Contact the Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Michigan Injury Attorneys Today

To prove medical malpractice, it is not enough to show that the medical provider made a mistake. To establish liability, the injured patient or their family must prove that the medical provider fell below the applicable standard of care for their specialty and that the patient was injured as a result. Just because a patient suffered a poor outcome does not mean a medical provider committed malpractice.

If you or a family were injured because of medical malpractice, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney as quickly as possible. Successfully pursuing compensation after a medical mistake is a difficult and complicated process that should not be attempted without assistance from a qualified medical malpractice lawyer. They are also subject to an extremely short statute of limitations, and there are other procedural roadblocks a victim must overcome to obtain compensation.

To learn more about the types of medical malpractice and what our medical malpractice lawyers can do for you and your family, we invite you to contact Michigan Injury Attorneys today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an attorney.