The Basics of Medical Malpractice

Quite often, we come across cases of medical malpractice in newspapers. Learn what cases qualify for medical malpractice lawsuits.

Learning that a doctor left behind a surgical instrument inside the body, prescribed a wrong medicine, or cut a wrong organ can be quite scary. After all, we all expect doctors to exercise a certain standard of care. However, there are cases where doctors act negligently, or fail to act in a manner that they are supposed to and cause harm to the health and well being of the patient.

Educating Yourself About the Basics

Missouri medical malpractice attorneys believe that it is important that everyone should be educated about the basics of medical malpractice so that they can protect themselves from falling prey to doctor’s negligence, and they know their legal rights in case they  become a victim of medical negligence. So, here is some insight into the basics of medical malpractice.

What is Medical Malpractice?

St. Louis medical malpractice attorneys describe medical malpractice or negligence as a doctor’s failure to exercise a reasonable standard of care while treating a patient. It can be a result of a number of medical errors including prescription drug errors, delayed treatment, failure to recognize a symptom, hospital acquired infections, or unnecessary surgery.

What Cases Qualify for a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?

A medical malpractice case would usually have the following characteristics:

Violation of the standard of care: There are certain standards of care that are to be followed in treating a specific condition. Failure of the doctor to meet these standards amounts to medical malpractice.

Injury was caused by negligence: In order to demand compensation for a doctor’s negligence, the victim has to prove that he or she was injured as a result of the medical malpractice.

Injury caused significant damages: Medical malpractice cases are complicated, and may involve a lot of expenditure. So, a victim needs to ascertain whether the damages are significant enough to warrant a lawsuit.

Some Examples of Medical Malpractice Cases

Everyone should know that they can claim compensation for medical malpractice if they have suffered any of the following:

 Failure of the doctor to diagnose a problem
 Misdiagnosis
 Ignoring or misreading laboratory results
 Surgical errors
 Wrong site surgery
 Unnecessary surgery
 Poor follow-up or aftercare
 Improper medication or dosage
 Premature discharge
 Failure to order appropriate tests
 Not taking or disregarding patient history
 Failure to recognize symptoms

If You Become Injured or Sick Due to Medical Negligence

As soon as you suspect that you or your family member has become a victim of potential medical negligence you should get in touch with one of the experienced Missouri medical malpractice attorneys. The lawyers have experience working with doctors, insurance companies, hospitals, and laboratories, and they can easily identify a case of medical negligence.

They will also discuss the legal options with you, and help file a lawsuit for making rightful claims. However, you should remember that you only have a limited time to act in cases of medical malpractice, so you should get in touch with a St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you can.  Call Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200.

Photo credit: Army Medicine