Medical malpractice can happen in many ways, and the treatments a patient does or does not receive may be a source of malpractice. The more informed a patient is about what kind of malpractice they can suffer from, the more likely they are to prevent an unnecessary injury or illness.
Medical malpractice is such a prevalent problem that it is the third leading cause of death in America. The treatment that a patient receives can be very vulnerable to malpractice. Here are three categories that malpractice can fall into:
Improper treatment
A patient not receiving the correct treatment can be deadly. Incorrect medicines may not help the illness at all, or make the patient’s condition worse. Diagnosis errors can also attribute to these treatment errors. If a doctor or test fails to recognize the genuine illness or injury at hand, there is no guarantee their treatment will be useful.
Failure to treat
While an improper treatment may be able to help a patient if they are lucky, not treating one has very little silver-lining. The longer a patient goes without life-saving treatment, the less likely it is that they will survive. It is a doctor’s responsibility to ensure that their patients are getting the treatment they need.
Delayed treatment
Patients go to doctors for help, and there should not be any delay in their treatment. These delays can be caused by understaffing, clerical or testing errors, or even ignorance. Even a minor unnecessary delay in treatment can spell disaster for a patient.
Hold professionals accountable
Whether you waited longer than necessary for treatment, received the wrong treatment, or did not receive any treatment at all, the medical professionals responsible for the error should answer for their actions. Consult with a personal injury attorney to determine what you can do to hold reckless or negligent doctors accountable for your poor treatment.