A patient puts a great deal of trust in their doctors when undergoing surgery. When mistakes are made, the patient’s health is put at risk. Although there are risks associated with most procedures, a surgeon’s negligence should never have to be endured by the patient. If you find yourself in a situation where you or a loved one suffer injuries as a consequence of a surgical error, you should hire a surgical error lawyer.
5 Situations to Hire a Surgical Error Lawyer
1. Missed Or Delayed Diagnosis
A missed or delayed diagnosis should be taken very seriously. If a doctor officially says that a patient is healthy when the patient has a disease, illness, or has an injury, the patient can end up having additional problems that could have otherwise been avoided. The same goes for a diagnosis that is given too late.
Many health issues cannot be diagnosed in one test. That is why doctors use a method called differential diagnosis in most cases. Differential diagnosis is the process of considering a patient for a variety of illnesses to eliminate all probabilities and make a more accurate diagnosis. Sometimes a doctor may not take or have the time to complete this process and can fail to diagnose a patient properly. But this mistake is not something the patient should have to pay for.
2. Surgical Mistakes
There are always risks that come with surgery and patients are often made aware of those risks beforehand. But a doctor’s mistake is another story. There is a certain level of diligence that is required of a surgeon. If a doctor fails to meet those standards their patient could end up suffering a lifetime of irreversible issues. A surgical error can often lead to you requiring more surgery. And the need for more surgery means more medical expenses.
There is a difference between medical negligence and known and acceptable complications, and the way that these lawsuits work can differ from state to state. If you hope to be compensated for surgical mistakes you will want to connect with a lawyer that specializes in your state’s laws. So if you live in Baltimore, you are going to want to refer to a surgical error lawyer in Baltimore to defend you and to determine what your options are.
3. Emergency Room Errors
There are certain things to be expected from an emergency room and the professionals working in them. But emergency rooms can often be understaffed and exceptionally chaotic. Which leaves a lot of room for error. Yet this fact does not make it okay for patients to suffer as a result.
There are a few things that can qualify as emergency room errors. Patients can be improperly medicated, infections can be caused by poor health care, etc. If significant issues are caused that could have been avoided, they could be considered medical malpractice and can be grounds for a lawsuit.
4. Anesthesia
There are reasons that the role of an anesthesiologist is necessary and cannot be done by just any doctor. Anesthesia comes with a level of risk. It is a tricky medication, and its effect can differ from person to person.
An anesthesiologist needs to have advanced knowledge of the effects the medication and the surgery will have on a person’s body. Most patients will not know how anesthesia will affect them; that is why the doctor needs to be able to determine its effects. Any malpractice on their part can be life-threatening to the patient. Some examples of anesthesia malpractice are dosage errors, inadequate patient monitoring, aspiration (when a patient cannot swallow), etc. These issues can be avoided if the doctor is careful.
5. Birth Errors
Errors during childbirth cannot not only harm the mother but her baby as well. If you or your child suffered a preventable injury during childbirth, it may be considered medical malpractice, and you can be eligible for financial compensation. 6 to 8 infants in America are born with a birth injury out of every 1,000. And these injury rates only increase with the mother’s age. There are times when these injuries are unavoidable, but in times when they should have been avoidable, it may be best for you to call a lawyer.
The experience of giving birth will vary from person to person. Some patients will be able to handle things that others can’t. It is the doctor’s job to be well versed in all birthing methods and be able to determine which method is best for each patient.
Several issues fall under the umbrella of medical malpractice, and it can often be difficult to determine whether your specific situation can make a viable lawsuit. There are quite a few aspects that can affect whether you have a case for a lawsuit. That is why it is important to get in contact with an attorney as soon as you believe there is a problem.
