Medical malpractice is a type of professional negligence that occurs when a medical professional fails to provide treatment within the accepted standard of care, which, in Maryland, must be established through expert testimony. Medical malpractice claims arise in a variety of contexts, and virtually any type of medical treatment could result in legal action. That said, certain claims arise much more often than others.
Below is some information about a few of the most common kinds of medical malpractice claims. For more information or to determine whether you can recover compensation, call our office today or contact us online.
Birth Injury Claims
Birth injury claims allege that a medical professional’s negligence injured the mother or baby. The negligence could have occurred during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or just after delivery. Typical examples of the negligence of medical professionals that can result in a serious birth injury include improper use of forceps or vacuum tubes, failure to monitor fetal heart rate, failure to timely order a cesarean section, and failure to diagnose a health condition in the mother.
Surgical Malpractice Claims
When you go into surgery, you are putting your life in the hands of the medical professionals around you. Unfortunately, surgical errors occur, and they’re almost always the result of negligence. Common examples of surgical errors that typically entitle victims to compensation include operating on the wrong body part, performing the wrong procedure, removing the wrong limb, leaving surgical instruments or sponges inside of a patient, and breaking sterile technique during surgery.
Claims Based on Failure to Diagnose
When physicians fail to diagnose conditions that they should have diagnosed, patients can suffer. If your condition is undiagnosed, that usually means it goes untreated. This may result in weeks or months of discomfort or pain that could have been avoided had the physician diagnosed your condition. In some cases, a failure to diagnose may result in your condition progresses to the point where you need much more invasive or aggressive treatment than you would have had your doctor diagnosed your condition earlier.
Medication Error Claims
Medication errors can have devastating results for patients. In some cases, medication errors are merely an annoyance. For example, if you don’t get the correct dosage of your seasonal allergy medication, the worst thing that will likely happen is that you’re uncomfortable until you or your physician recognize the error and take appropriate action. In other cases, however, medication errors can put patients at significant risk of injury. Common medication errors include prescribing or administering the wrong medication, the wrong dose, or failing to check for contraindications prior to prescribing or administering medication.
Call Alpert Schreyer, LLC, Today to Speak with a Maryland Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you believe that the negligence of a medical professional has injured you, you should speak to an experienced lawyer as soon as you can. Remember, a delay could result in the loss or destruction of evidence important to your case the statute of limitations barring your claim completely. To schedule a free case evaluation with a medical malpractice lawyer in Maryland, call our office today at 301-381-2655 or contact us online.