When we are sick or injured, we expect the medical professionals and facilities treating us to provide competent medical care. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Sometimes there is negligence by a medical professional or facility that does not meet an accepted medical standard of care. These errors may result in disfigurement, temporary or permanent disability, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, or death. Five common medical malpractice errors are diagnostic errors, medication errors, childbirth injuries, surgical mistakes, and anesthesia errors.
Diagnostic Errors
Diagnostic errors account for a large number of medical malpractice cases. Errors may involve a missed diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or wrong diagnosis. Typically, the error must result in the patient’s condition worsening due to improper medical care, a delay in treatment, or no treatment being given. Diagnostic errors sometimes result in permanent injury or death.
Medication Errors
Errors in medication can involve giving the wrong medication, administering the wrong dosage, failure to detect drug interactions, and failure to properly treat drug allergies. In addition, medications may have been improperly labeled, improperly stored, or out of date.
Childbirth Injuries
Birth injuries can affect the mother or the child. Common injuries to the infant may include brain damage, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, nerve damage to the shoulder, arm, or hand, and broken bones. Severe birth injuries to the infant can result in lifelong mental or physical disabilities or death. Injuries to the mother during childbirth can include C-section injuries, epidural injuries, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Surgical Mistakes
Surgical errors can include leaving a foreign object, such as a sponge or clamp, inside the patient’s body. The surgeon may operate on the wrong body part or even the wrong patient. There may also have been inadequate monitoring of the patient during the procedure.
Anesthesia Errors
The wrong anesthesia dosage may have been administered. The patient may not have been properly monitored or may have been kept under for too long. The anesthesiologist may have failed to recognize an adverse reaction to the drug.
Who is responsible for injury to the patient?
Parties who may be held responsible in medical malpractice lawsuits include doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, physical therapists, dentists, and other types of medical specialists. Hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes may also be held responsible because of their legal obligation to supervise staff. A lawsuit may include a combination of medical professionals and facilities.
South Carolina Law
The statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits in South Carolina depends on specific situations. In general, it is three years from the date of the injury or from when the injury was discovered or should have been discovered. If you or a loved one have been harmed as a result of medical malpractice, you need an experienced personal injury attorney to protect your legal rights. Contact attorney Venus Poe for a free consultation about your case. Offices are located in Greenville and Fountain Inn, South Carolina.