Medical malpractice is one of the most common claims made by American citizens in our modern age. However, many people don’t understand when they have the right to claim for compensation.
Fortunately, medical malpractice can be loosely categorized into the following three groups to help you understand when and why you can claim for compensation.
1. Substandard Medical Practice
Medical professionals by law must abide by quality standards throughout their practice. This is vital for every hospital employee, as small mistakes can lead to dangerous problems. Without this standard, medicine would be unreliable, with variable standards from state to state and, ultimately, unfair health benefits offered only to a select few.
However, if you have been a victim of substandard medical malpractice in Oswego, a medical malpractice lawyer can help you seek compensation to continue living a comfortable lifestyle.
2. Negligence leading to Injury or Disability
Another common issue that many patients claim malpractice for is simple negligence. Negligence is when a doctor doesn’t follow all of the necessary protocols, which in turn leads to the following medical problems:
- Unnecessary damage caused during surgery
- Doctors operating on the wrong body part (left knee instead of right knee)
- Leaving objects or tools inside a patient’s body after surgery
- Failing to monitor vital life signs and other warning mechanisms
- Failing to follow vital safety protocols
In a recent article by Lawyers And Settlements, it was revealed that “A patient safety study estimates that more than 400,000 American deaths are associated with preventable harm done to patients in hospital settings.”
3. Harm Caused by Misdiagnosis
Medical News Today reported at the end of 2014 that “Diagnosis errors cause up to 160,000 deaths annually in the USA”. This is when a doctor fails to recognize important characteristics of various ailments, and offers the wrong diagnosis – leading to one of two serious problems.
- The first problem with misdiagnosis is that the real ailment can rapidly worsen, since the patient will not be taking the right medication, or may be undergoing unnecessary and harmful surgery.
- The second problem is that, as we all know, taking medicine when you are not sick can lead to serious medical conditions or even fatalities.
In either scenario, you can seek compensation for the medical and financial problems relating to misdiagnosis through a reliable medical malpractice lawyer in Oswego.
If you, a family member or a loved one have experienced medical malpractice and would like to seek compensation, contact Woodruff Lawyers today and speak with our consultants about claiming for damages, injury or trauma.
