How Common Is Medical Malpractice and What Should You Do If You Are A Victim?

Medical negligence occurs when a doctor or other medical professional violates the standard of care. The standard of care is generally defined as the level and type of care that a reasonably competent and skilled health care professional, with similar education and training, would have provided under the circumstances that led to the alleged malpractice. It varies depending on  the medical condition being treated. According to the American Bar Association, doctors, nurses, dentists, technicians, hospitals, and hospital workers can all be the culprits of medical malpractice. When we talk about medical malpractice, many people think of surgical or medication mistakes.There are, however, studies that show interesting statistics regarding medical malpractice. A recent study in the journal BMJ Quality and Safety shows that, for the past 25 years in the United States, diagnostic errors – where a diagnosis was missed or delayed – outnumbered surgical or medication mistakes in terms of patient harm, number of claims and penalty payouts. Based on data from 350,706 paid medical malpractice claims from the National Practitioner Data Bank, the study was conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, and showed that 28.6 percent of the paid claims were diagnostic errors. What’s more, these errors were also more likely to lead to death or disability for the patient. Researchers deduced that as many as 80,000 to 160,000 people in the United States have been negatively affected by diagnostic errors – whether by injury or death. Recently, another study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that surgical “never events” – actually do happen. “Never events” are all those frightening cases you hear about where surgical instruments were left in patients’ bodies, and similar incidents. Everyday Health reported that between1990 and 2010, more than 4,000 of these “never events” occurred every year. According to a 2006 study, every year approximately 1.5 million people in the United States are negatively impacted by medication errors. From the initial prescription to the administration of the drug, medication errors occur in many ways. However, by far the most common medication errors involve dosage, where the patient gets too small or too large of a dose. When Anesthesia Errors occur, they are usually more dangerous than surgical mistakes. Even a minor error by the anesthesiologist can result in permanent injury, brain damage, even death. An anesthesiologist can commit medical malpractice even before anesthesia is administered. Surgery Errors made in the operating room lead to medical malpractice claims. They can involve a surgeon being negligent during the operation itself (puncturing internal organs, operating on the wrong body part, or leaving surgical instruments in the body) or the nursing staff being negligent in administering post-op care (which could result in complications like serious infection). Negligent prenatal care can happen if negligent medical treatment is provided during the pregnancy, where it could harm the fetus, the mother, or both. Childbirth Injuries can be caused by medical malpractice, including brain injuries (such as cerebral palsy and seizure disorders), fractured bones, and Erb’s and Klumpke’s palsy (damage to nerves that control the arms and hands), and also cause harm to the mother. If you believe that you, or someone in your family, may have been a victim of medical malpractice, you can take steps to seek potential compensation from your medical service provider. Now, how do you determine your eligibility for a successful claim? An essential and primary thing to do will be to have your medical records evaluated in order to determine whether you were a victim of medical negligence. To accomplish this, you need to obtain a competent and reliable medical malpractice lawyer. You will need an experienced lawyer who can protect your legal rights, secure your claim and obtain the compensation that you are entitled to. Showing that health care provider’s negligence resulted in an injury is called causation. To file a lawsuit it is not enough to just show that medical negligence took place – you will also have to prove that the negligence act resulted in injuries. This can require hours of research, discovery and expert testimony.When meeting with a medical malpractice lawyer, there are some things you can do to help prove causation. Specifically, you will need to provide certain information and documentation, such as: letters from your hospital or health care provider, medical receipts, medical records, test results, information related to your diagnosis, doctor’s notes, pictures of your injuries, and any personal log entries recorded pertaining to your medical history. At NOW LAW, our entire practice is devoted to helping people who have been injured by medical malpractice and people who have suffered a birth injury or personal injury. Our medical malpractice lawyers in Mechanicsburg, PA  and Philadelphia have decades of experience when it comes to proper evaluation and successful handling of medical malpractice cases. When in need of experienced medical malpractice lawyers in Philadelphia or Mechanicsburg, PA  contact NOW LAW  today, and let our skilled, knowledgeable and reliable lawyers help you. Call us today: 800-818-9608.Or, visit: http://nowllp.com/pennsylvania-medical-malpractice-attorneys/  Article Source 1Article Source 2