Doctor and Hospital Medical Malpractice

Medical institutions and medical professionals have a duty to provide appropriate medical treatment to patients.

Failure to provide suitable treatment amounts to medical malpractice and a lawsuit for compensation may be filed in such a situation. Among the common medical malpractice situations are misinterpreting medical records, surgery issues, recommending wrong diagnostic tests, giving wrong prescriptions, and failure to monitor the heart rate of the patient.

Who Is Liable In Medical Malpractice

Doctors and nurses are liable whenever medical malpractice issues result in serious injuries or the death of the patient. These medical malpractice issues, which normally happen in hospitals, are mainly due to the negligence of these medical personnel. Due to this, the hospital and doctor are considered as the defendants of a lawsuit.

It is essential to note that, unlike many nurses, doctors are considered as independent contractors even if they work in a hospital. This means the hospital has another level of protection that the patient has to deal with. For this reason, patients who experience medical malpractice injuries should consult a qualified St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer. The intricacy and expensive nature of medical malpractice lawsuits make it difficult for patients to pursue them. The familiarity of doctors with medical terminologies gives them an edge, and they are able to reduce their liability in the injuries or death of patients due to medical negligence.

Medical Malpractice In Emergency Rooms

Medical malpractice also happens in emergency rooms, which are usually full of haphazard activity. Emergency rooms at times lack a suitable number of medical personnel, and ones that are available are typically overburdened. As a result, the waiting time of patients, before they receive medical care, can be long.

In addition to this, doctors and nurses assigned to an emergency room may not be able to give suitable medical care due to the sheer volume of patients in this area of the hospital. This may result in a failure to provide an appropriate diagnosis or treatment to the patient. In these situations, the medical condition of a patient can take a turn for the worse, which can result in permanent disability or, in extreme cases, the death of the patient.

Medical Malpractice During Surgery

It is also difficult for patients to provide evidence of medical malpractice during surgeries. This is due to the fact that the medical personnel inside the operating room are the only witnesses in the case. In addition to this, the notes dictated by the surgeon following the procedure are the only written records of what happened during the surgery.

There are times when patients experience issues even after a successful surgery. This may happen inside the recovery room where an anaesthesiologist conducts an incorrect assessment of the condition of the patient, and as a result, the patient may suffer severe injuries, such as brain damage or, in worse cases, death, due to negligent actions.

A medical malpractice lawsuit may be filed by the family of the patient who suffered severe injuries or death due to medical malpractice or negligence by the doctor or hospital. In doing so, guidance and support of an experienced St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer is imperative. Call Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200.

Photo credit: Army Medicine via Flickr