What Types of Mistakes Can Amount to Medical Malpractice?

While we never want to worry about being harmed due to the careless or negligent actions of a healthcare provider, we know that medical mistakes do occur. Many people do not realize just how common errors in healthcare are. When they happen, the team at Brown, Moore & Associates, PLLC is ready to investigate and help you secure the compensation you deserve. Today, our Charlotte medical malpractice lawyers want to discuss the most common mistakes in healthcare.

Most common medical mistakes

Medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the country, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins. They say that as many as 250,000 people lose their lives each year due to these errors.

There are various ways that people can become injured or ill due to the mistakes of healthcare professionals. This can include:

Medication Errors: Approximately 1.5 million people are harmed by medication mistakes each year in the US. These mistakes happen when patients receive the wrong medication, the wrong dosage of their medication, or do not receive their medication at all. This can happen in the hospital or due to pharmacy mistakes.

Spinal Cord Damage: The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center says that medical and surgical mistakes are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries. Any invasive spinal procedure or chiropractic care can lead to lasting damage. The average cost of a treat spinal cord injury ranges from $359,000 to over $1.1 million for the first year of care.

Surgical Mistakes: All surgeries have risks, but there are various “never events” that should not happen. This can include having the wrong body part operated on or removed, surgical instruments left behind inside the body, and even patients receiving the wrong surgery.

Diagnosing Mistakes: Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that errors made when diagnosing patients affect approximately 12 million people a year. They are the most harmful type of medical error and can lead to delayed treatment. Diagnostic errors can also lead to a patient receiving no treatment at all for serious injuries or illnesses.

Infections: Nearly one in every 30 hospital patients in the US acquires an infection. All healthcare providers and hospital staff should follow strict infection control protocols to keep patients safe.

We are ready to help you through this

If you or a loved one have been injured due to the careless or negligent actions of a healthcare provider, you should seek legal assistance as soon as possible. At Brown, Moore & Associates, PLLC, we are ready to get to work on your behalf. Our goal is to investigate what happened so we can secure the compensation you deserve. This can include:

• Coverage of all medical expenses related to the mistake(s)
• Coverage of lost wages if you cannot work
• Loss of enjoyment of life damages
• Pain and suffering damages
• Possible punitive damages against the healthcare provider

When you need a Charlotte medical malpractice attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at 704-335-1500.