Many actions and inactions by healthcare providers constitute medical malpractice or medical negligence in and around Lawrenceville.
These can include:
- Surgical errors
- Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis
- Medication errors
- Delay of treatment
- Wrongful discharge from the hospital
- Birth injuries
- Hospital errors and infections
Any of these has the potential to result in serious complications and injuries, which might require additional treatment and cause preventable pain.
One of the most common forms of medical malpractice involves negligently or incorrectly performing a medical procedure. When a surgeon or other provider performs a medical operation or procedure, they must perform the procedure following the prevailing standards of care. In fact, many surgeons and specialists are held to a national standard of care when it comes to practicing medicine competently, and they are required to perform all medical procedures under that standard of care.
In addition to performing surgery, injections, or other medical procedure incorrectly, medical malpractice can also include careless actions or inactions that take place during the procedure. For example, the surgeon could carelessly leave a syringe, sponge, or another piece of equipment inside a patient’s body, before closing up the surgical wound. Such carelessness can lead to serious complications for the patient in the future, such as the need for revision surgery.
Failing to obtain a patient’s written consent to a procedure can also amount to medical malpractice by a healthcare provider. Before undergoing an injection, surgery, or other medical procedure, the patient who is authorizing the surgery must provide their informed written consent. If the patient cannot consent, the physician must obtain the written permission of the patient’s legal representative or guardian.
If the patient provides no such consent, a court could deem the procedure that the physician performs unauthorized. If any complication arises, the patient could assert a medical malpractice claim against the negligent healthcare provider. Healthcare providers are also required to perform the correct procedure on the patient (the procedure to which the patient provided their informed written consent). They must not exceed the scope of the patient’s consent. Exceeding the scope of a patient’s consent to a medical procedure can also result in the patient filing a claim or lawsuit against the healthcare provider.
Another common form of medical malpractice in Lawrenceville involves failed or late medical diagnoses. A failed medical diagnosis happens when a healthcare provider misses a medical diagnosis altogether, causing the patient to suffer a serious illness or other complications. The provider can also diagnose the patient’s medical condition too late to avoid serious consequences.
To prevent failed and late medical diagnoses, healthcare providers are required to order the necessary tests, such as biopsies and MRIs, and review the results thoroughly and promptly. In some instances, failed and late medical diagnoses can lead to a patient’s untimely death.
Finally, when a healthcare provider fails to maintain a clean medical facility, the provider can be deemed responsible for any patient injury or illness that reasonably results. Failing to maintain a sufficiently clean office environment can foster the spread of germs and bring about disease, most especially in the current age of COVID-19. Providing a clean office environment means ensuring that all patient exam rooms and examination tables are clean and adequately sterilizing the medical instruments (including those used during a medical procedure) before their use on a patient.
If you or a person you love has suffered an injury, illness, or complication that you believe resulted from medical negligence or malpractice, the experienced Lawrenceville medical malpractice attorneys at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC can investigate your case. If there is a likelihood that malpractice occurred, we can then take legal action against the at-fault healthcare provider on your behalf. We can then pursue a favorable settlement offer on your behalf, and if necessary, litigate the case in the state court system.
