Common Types of Medical Malpractice in Kentucky

You were ailing when you decided to seek professional assistance from a medical doctor. Now, through no action of your own, you are feeling worse off than before after being treated. Unfortunately, seeking medical assistance has resulted in damages and injuries that weren’t there when you walked into the hospital.

Does this scenario sound familiar? If you suspect that you have a case of medical malpractice in your hands, or you are not sure if it qualifies to fall under medical malpractice, this piece will guide you.

So, what are the common types of medical malpractice that warrant the need to find a Kentucky medical malpractice lawyer? Let’s find out.

Misdiagnosis

A significant number of malpractice cases fall under misdiagnosis. In such a case, the doctor examines you but fails to make the right diagnosis. With the wrong diagnosis, you might receive improper treatment, worsening your condition.

Also, misdiagnosis forces you to go through the wrong treatments that eventually double your medical expenses. These damages make you eligible to file for medical malpractice claims.

Failure to Treat

Medical doctors often make an oath that requires them to dedicate themselves and their careers to treating patients who need their help. According to your Kentucky medical malpractice lawyer, “failure to treat” becomes medical malpractice when your doctor arrives at the right diagnosis and fails to deliver proper treatment knowingly.

Another situation revolving around this type of medical malpractice is when a doctor turns down patients perhaps because he or she is off duty or the patient doesn’t have enough funds to pay for treatment. Neglecting patients or discharging them too early also qualifies as medical malpractice.

Surgical Blunders

Surgical procedures are delicate. One small mistake and the surgeon could be looking at a lifeless body on the operation table. While some operations are purely risky, some errors occur due to negligence in which qualifies them as medical malpractice. Examples of surgical blunders that may qualify to be classified under medical malpractice include the following :

  • Leaving surgical tools and equipment such as scalpels and cotton in the patient’s body
  • Neglecting patients after surgery by not offering adequate aftercare treatment
  • Performing unnecessary surgical procedures
  • Damaging nerves, body organs, and tissues during surgery
  • Using non-sterile tools during surgery
  • Procuring the wrong surgical procedure

Despite signing consent papers stating that you were aware of the risks of the surgery doesn’t give the surgeon permission to make harmful and fatal errors such as administering the wrong amount of anesthesia.

Birth Injuries

Imagine looking forward to seeing your newborn and spending months designing the baby room only for a doctor’s negligence to deter these plans. Birth injuries can result in the death of a baby, the mother, or both.

Birth injuries that would have been prevented and eventually resulted in damages, huger medical bills, or death, qualify as medical malpractice.

Delayed Diagnosis

Unlike misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis happens when a medical doctor makes the correct diagnosis, but when it’s too late, despite having the knowledge and capability to fasten the process.

What do we mean? For instance, if a doctor delays to order for a necessary test on time that would have yielded the right diagnosis and your condition worsens, you are eligible to sue the practitioner for medical malpractice.

Faulty Medical Products

Manufacturers are often to blame for faulty medical products that can cause defects, injuries, or death. Medical devices, such as IVC filters, are designed to prevent blood clots. However, in certain instances, they can break, travel through the bloodstream, and cause injuries or death. The manufacturer should be liable for the damages under medical malpractice claims.

If you aren’t sure whether you are dealing with a legit case of medical malpractice, you might want to involve a Kentucky medical malpractice lawyer to guide you through the process and increase your chances of being compensated.

 

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