Medical malpractice is usually an accident! Unfortunately, this type of accident can mean the difference between life and death. The human factor in medicine is unavoidable. People make mistakes, including your family doctor and medical facilities. The trauma of medical malpractice can have long-term physical and financial effects. You must seek advice from a qualified personal injury attorney, if you believe that you or a family member suffered a loss due to medical malpractice.
Most people trust their doctor's advice and follow their orders. After all, most physicians are caring professionals who have years of education. They must be certified by the state in which they practice and continue their education to improve their skills. Yet, the health care system is very prone to accidents and poor judgment about health problems; this includes both chronic and acute conditions.
Misdiagnosis is a common type of medical malpractice. Autopsies revealed many of these misjudgments in cases that were not discovered during the patient's lifespan. A clear sign of this type of medical malpractice is that the prescribed treatment does not have the intended result. The patient may succumb to the undiscovered health problem while being treated for the wrong condition.
Even your neighborhood pharmacy can be negligent in taking precautions to protect your health. In 2006, the Institute of Medicine found that medication errors affect over a million people per year. Mixed up lab results can also lead to medical malpractice by physicians and medical facilities. Unnecessary or botched surgeries, staph infections, faulty sutures, misplaced instruments and more horrors await hospital patients. According to HealthGrades, nearly 200,000 people annually are victims of preventable medical errors in hospitals.
Medical malpractice claims and lawsuits usually must be filed within a specific time period after your loss or injury happens. Every state sets its own limits for filing, the statute of limitations. However, there are exceptions to the statute of limitations that the states have put in place. Only a personal injury attorney with experience in medical malpractice cases will be able to tell you if you have a winnable case and if the circumstances of your case meet the requirements of your state's time limitations. Take care of yourself and your loved ones by protecting yourself from this all too common accident – medical malpractice.