Hospital Errors and Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
May 20th, 2011 | 
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Hospital errors can occur due to the negligence or misconduct of a physician, nurse, or member of the hospital staff. If you have been seriously injured due to a hospital error, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. It is important to speak to medical malpractice lawyer to determine liability, discover your legal options, and if necessary, file a medical malpractice lawsuit against those responsible.
Types of Hospital Errors
When you go into a hospital for surgery, you expect the surgery and hospital staff to help your medical condition or illness. However, surgical errors can and do occasionally occur.
Common surgery errors include the doctor performing surgery on the wrong body part or even on the wrong patient. In some cases, the surgeon may leave his or her equipment in the patient’s body after surgery.
Anesthesia errors may also occur during surgery. It is important for the staff to obtain your medical history before determining your dosage amounts or whether you should have the surgery at all. Certain factors, such as age, smoking, and heart, kidney, and lung disease should all be taken into account by the anesthesiologist and surgeon. Anesthesia errors may lead to long-term pain and numbness as well as stroke, heart attack, and even death.
Incorrect prescriptions may also lead to serious health problems. Common errors include the doctor prescribing the wrong medicine, improper medication dosages, and pharmacist mistakes.
Obstetrical mistakes can affect the health and even the life of your newborn baby. If the physician or nurse fails to diagnose fetal distress, or fails to treat conditions such as jaundice, you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit on behalf of your child in order to pay for the current and future medical treatments that your child may now require.
Filing a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit after a Hospital Error
There are two main reasons to file a medical malpractice lawsuit if you or a loved one has been affected by hospital errors: to receive compensation for your injuries and to keep the same mistakes from happening to another patient in the future.
In order to prove your case, it is important to hire an experienced medical malpractice lawyer who can examine your medical records, determine who was ultimately responsible for your injuries or loved one’s death, and call in expert medical professionals who can help prove your case in court.
A qualified medical malpractice lawyer can also help you negotiate a settlement with the hospital or insurance company that can get you the compensation you need without going to court.
Most states have a statue of limitations that may prevent you from filing a medical malpractice lawsuit if too much time has passed so it imperative to seek legal counsel as soon as possible.
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