Common Medical Errors Made by Doctors and Hospitals

Sometimes unhappiness with a course of treatment for your ailments can be due to more than just a difference in style and bedside manner. When a medical error leads to the worsening of your condition, or an entirely new malady, you may be entitled to compensation. Knowing the common medical errors that are awarded compensation can help a victim decide whether it’s time to pursue legal action.

Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis

Many medical malpractice complaints stem from misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis that led to bigger problems. For a successful malpractice case, it must be proven a reasonably skilled doctor who was acting competently would not have made the same diagnosis error.

Childbirth Injuries

There are many fetal injuries that are considered childbirth injuries. These can happen either before or after birth. Generally, childbirth injuries are classified under two categories.

• Negligence in prenatal care. Negligence can affect a child at any point in a pregnancy. This includes:
  • not identifying birth defects
  • delayed or not diagnosing a disease that could be transmitted to the fetus
  • not identifying an ectopic pregnancy
  • failing to diagnosis a medical condition that affects the mother such as anemia or gestational diabetes
• Negligent childbirth care. When a doctor’s negligence during childbirth leads to injury, it can have devastating effects. Common errors include:
  • failure to anticipate issues due to a baby’s large size or a tangle umbilical cord
  • not responding to fetal distress
  • not ordering a necessary cesarean section
  • improper or incompetent use of forceps

Medication Errors

When a patient receives too much or too little of a medication when a reasonable physician would not have made the error, there could be serious harm. Examples of medication errors include:

• Incorrect dosage written on prescription
• A correct prescription being improperly filled by a nurse
• Equipment malfunction causing improper administration of drug
• In a hospital, receiving another patient’s medication

Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia errors can be among the most dangerous of medical errors. Examples of this type of mistake include:

• Not properly reviewing patient history
• Not properly informing patient of the risks
• Giving too much anesthesia
• Not monitoring vital signs
• Improper intubating
• Defective equipment

If you feel your physician did not use proper care, contact one of our Connecticut medical malpractice lawyers at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers. We will review your case and help you take the first steps toward compensation for your pain and suffering.