Not all patients go to the doctor and return home healthier than they were before. Aside from the fact that doctors aren’t miracle workers, they can also make serious and deadly mistakes. When those mistakes happen as a result of negligence, inept medical decisions or unlawful behavior, an injured patient may be able to pursue medical negligence claims to seek justice and restitution in court.
Here are some of the most common medical errors that give rise malpractice lawsuits:
Operating on the wrong patient
It’s hard to believe, but sometimes doctors and nurses mix up which patient is which before a surgery. This can lead to the wrong patient having the wrong surgery done on him or her. There have been situations when a doctor amputated the wrong finger or appendage. There have also been situations where a heart surgery was performed on a patient who needed a hernia repair.
Taking out the breathing tube early
Patients often need a breathing tube in order to stay alive and keep breathing while they’re under anesthesia. Sometimes an anesthesiologist will remove the breathing tube early, before the patient is capable of breathing on his or her own.
Not taking out the urinary catheter
Urinary catheters are important for many patients, but when they’re left inside for too long, they can result in serious infections that spread and worsen throughout the patient.
The above three medical errors are by no means an exhaustive list. There are numerous ways that patients get hurt while receiving medical care. If you suffered any kind of injury that you suspect was caused by your doctor’s negligence, you might want to investigate your legal rights and options.
Source: CheatSheet, “Common Mistakes Doctors Make That Often Kill Real People,” Lauren Weller, accessed Dec. 29, 2017
