Medical Errors

Many individuals who are victimized by medical malpractice suffer from the errors made by professionals in the field. Rushed, inexperienced, and inattentive doctors and nurses are prone to making mistakes, just as any other human might be in a similar situation. The difference, however, is that they are trained to accommodate for these mistakes and diffuse medical issues as they arise. Errors that are left unattended, as well as errors that are not reported, can result in severe health issues for the victims of medical negligence.

Types of Medical Errors

Any number of errors could account for the injury or illness from which you are now suffering. Understanding how different medical errors are categorized can give you a better idea of how to move forward with your case in the coming weeks and months.

Medication errors: Every year, billions of dollars are spent trying to correct the medication errors that cause injury to unsuspecting patients of the health care system. Doctors who prescribe the wrong medication to a patient account for some of these errors, while nurses who incorrectly give doctor-ordered medication account for another portion of these errors. Pharmacies that miss-fill prescriptions, as well as pharmacists and doctors who prescribe unsafe combinations of drugs are also responsible for some of the country's million+ medication errors per year. It is critical that doctors, nurses, and pharmacists pay strict attention to the medical history of patients before prescribing and filling any medication. This is the best way to prevent unnecessary errors that could cause injury or illness.

Surgical errors: Mistakes in the operating room are some of the most critical, because individuals are highly susceptible to injury and death while in surgery. Common surgical errors include operating on the incorrect body part, cutting / severing / pinching a nerve and consequently causing permanent nerve damage, failure to identify the source of internal bleeding in a manner that is timely enough to efficiently stop it, making an improper donor transplant, causing disfigurement or scarring, leaving foreign objects inside a patient's body, and causing preventable infections from the surgery.

Post-operative care errors: Monitoring a patient after surgery is equally as important as prepping the patient before surgery and monitoring the patient during surgery. In fact, post-op is a common time for medical conditions to develop or reveal themselves. Vital signs must be monitored, lab results must be studied, and a patient's complaints / feedback must be taken seriously. When any one of these aspects of post-operative care is not met, medical conditions such as blood clots can quickly appear.

Nurse errors: The responsibilities of a nurse include monitoring vital signs, inserting IV lines, rotating bedridden patients, and much more. Nurses are also responsible for attending to a patient's general needs, and are expected to alert the doctor immediately when any sign of risk or abnormality arises. Delaying these notifications, or misreading a patient's vital signs can significantly impact their health.

Anesthesia errors: Anesthesiologists are responsible for ensuring that patients are medically stable and prepared for non-emergency surgeries. Regulating heart function and respiratory function are two of an anesthesiologist's most important responsibilities. Part of their role involves controlling a patient's breathing patterns while they are under anesthesia, and they are also responsible for the proper placement of the oxygen tube. Victims of anesthesia errors typically suffer hypoxic brain damage, aspiration pneumonia, coma, or even death.

Many other medical errors exist that could warrant legal action, including radiologist errors, blood transfusion errors, orthopedist errors, and kidney dialysis errors. Suffering from any of these may entitle you to compensation.

Contact Our Medical Malpractice Team

When you contact DominaLaw Group, you can schedule a free consultation with an associate at our firm to discuss the details of your situation. Together, we can determine whether or not your case qualifies you to take legal action against the medical errors that caused you pain and suffering. For more than three decades, we have skillfully represented victims of medical malpractice in court, and we may be able to do the same for you.

Unafraid to take on controversial cases such as those that claim malpractice against a professional, we will aggressively fight for you in trial. At DominaLaw Group, our primary concern is "Can we help you?" After reviewing your case and listening to the details of your story, if we believe that we can help you resolve the issue and obtain the compensation you deserve, we will immediately move forward with your case. Although tenacious in our efforts, we never lose sight of our morals. Contact our office today to learn more.