If you’re the victim of medical malpractice, you’re in a particularly difficult situation. The medical professional or facility you turned to for care left you injured instead – as a result of their own negligence – which is a challenging fact. The path forward toward recovery is also likely to be rough going. While every medical malpractice claim is unique to the specific circumstances involved, they tend to fall into basic categories. If you or someone you care about is the victim of malpractice, don’t wait to consult with an experienced Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, medical malpractice attorney.
Primary Categories of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice comes in many different forms, but some of the most common fall into the following categories:
- When the medical professional misdiagnoses the patient or simply fails to diagnose a health concern
- When the medical professional fails to order the necessary tests or diagnostic procedures or fails to act on the results
- When the medical professional fails to follow up with the patient regarding their health status
- When the patient is discharged from the medical facility prematurely
- When the medical professional prescribes the wrong medication or the wrong dosage
- When the patient experiences persistent pain post-surgery that the medical professional or medical team fails to adequately address
- When the patient suffers bedsores – or pressure ulcers – as a result of inadequate assistance in a medical facility
- When the patient acquires a dangerous infection because of being in a medical facility
Never Events
There are also forms of medical errors that are so egregious they should never occur but, nevertheless, do, and they’re often referred to as never events. Examples of surgical never events include all the following:
- Performing surgery on the wrong body part
- Performing surgery on the wrong patient
- Performing the wrong surgery on a patient
- Unintentionally leaving a foreign object in the patient during surgery
Consider the following never events related to patient protection:
- When a patient who is unable to make decisions on their own behalf is discharged to anyone other than an authorized person
- When a patient’s elopement – or disappearance – from the medical facility leads to their death or to a serious disability
- When a patient dies by suicide, attempts suicide, or engages in serious self-harm while under the care of a medical facility
Medical professionals and facilities accept an immense responsibility for their patients’ health and well-being, and failure to follow the profession’s recognized and accepted standards can lead to medical malpractice claims.
It’s Time to Consult with an Experienced Harrisburg Medical Malpractice Attorney
The compassionate medical malpractice attorneys at Marzella and Associates in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, channel the full force of our impressive experience for every client we represent, and we’ll do the same for you. Your future is too important to leave to chance, so please reach out and contact us online or call us at 866-488-5461 to schedule your free consultation and learn more today.