What is medical negligence or medical malpractice? As a general rule of thumb, medical malpractice, which is also known as medical negligence, occurs when a health care provider causes injury or even death to a patient when he or she fails to act within the confines of standard medical care. Putting it another way, medical malpractice is committed by a doctor or other health care provider when he or she does not act reasonably and responsibly, and this unreasonable conduct causes harm to the patient.
What types are medical malpractice are there? Typically speaking, medical malpractice can commonly occur under the following circumstances:
- Birth injury
- Anesthesia malpractice
- Prognosis misdiagnosis
- Surgical negligence
- Contaminated blood
- Injury from prescription drugs/ Overdoses
Is medical malpractice common? Sadly to say, medical mistakes are common occurrences here in the United States. A report that was recently published by the Institute of Medicine stated that as many as 98,000 people die every year in the hospitals in American due to medical mistakes. Therefore, in our country medical mistakes compose the 8th leading cause of death. Injuries occur to over 1.3 million people a year which involve medication errors.
What should you do if you think your injuries may have been caused by medical malpractice? Certainly not all medical mistakes constitute malpractice. However, if you or if a loved one has suffered a serious injury which is unexpected or has even died, then you should definitely question whether that death or injury was the result of medical negligence or medical malpractice. You not only owe it to yourself but to your family members to know the truth and hold the health care provider accountable for the harm that has been caused. Millions of dollars could be at stake.
What should you do if you have been victimized by medical malpractice? You may find that you are experiencing pain and suffering as well as severe financial hardships. There is no need to go through this difficult time by yourself. You as the patient should not be required to pay for the mistakes of your doctor or his or her negligence. It is important for you to locate and contact an experienced lawyer who will be able to protect your rights as well as get you the compensation you deserve.
What else can be done other than sue for malpractice? The first step involves informing the health care provider who performed the service. He or she may not be aware that there was a problem. You will find that the majority of doctors and pharmacists are honest people, and they will take the necessary action to correct a mistake. Another step that can be taken is to contact licensing authorities or state regulatory boards so that they can review the case in question and take disciplinary action if necessary. Penalties, fines and the revocation or suspension of a license can be meted out by state agencies and organizations.
You need to understand that even if you file a medical malpractice suit and win it, that will still not un-do the damage that was caused by the negligent actions. But it can ease the financial hardship that you may be enduring as a result of that negligence, as well as helping others to not fall victim to this by having a doctor's license suspended or revoked because he or she is not doing their job properly.
For more insights and additional information about Medical Malpractice please visit our web site at http://www.malpracticeinfonow.com
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