Medical malpractice: What is medical malpractice and what types are there?

In the legal field, medical malpractice can occur or originate when there is patient carelessness on the part of healthcare personnel. This action can cause irreversible damage to the affected person and, in the worst case, even death.

Upon the occurrence of a bad medical procedure, the family members of the affected person are free to take legal action by hiring an
experienced attorney
to assist them in filing a lawsuit. In this way, an investigation is started to clarify the practices that caused the bad procedure.

What is medical malpractice?

Medical malpractice is most of the time an unintentional occurrence and is called a wrongful misconduct. When it is the opposite, that is to say that it is caused with full intent, it is a type of intentional crime.

When a person is the victim of
medical malpractice
can suffer from permanent bodily, economic and social damage, affecting their quality of life. Health personnel who commit this offense do so by omitting to perform medical actions with respect to the patient.

Types of medical malpractice

Several types of medical malpractice are known to cause serious problems for the patient. Among them we can mention the following:

1. For misdiagnosis or poor care of a disease

This type is due to inadequate action by health personnel, inexperience or poor knowledge of the individual’s disease. To avoid a bad procedure, the health care provider must objectively attend to the person’s medical condition in order to provide the appropriate treatment.

In order to prove that a healthcare provider has incurred in a bad procedure, it is necessary to have the evidence to legally formalize a complaint.

2. Lack of attention to detect a disease

In this case, it is not only because the health personnel did not act quickly to find the individual’s disease. For there are circumstances where detecting a disease is extremely complicated.

But, if the physician does not make a more thorough evaluation to achieve a definitive diagnosis or prescribes the wrong treatment, he/she is incurring in a bad procedure by inaction.

3. Due to lack of timely attention to complications that arise in childbirth.

It is very important to provide prompt and timely care when problems arise with the mother or fetus during labor. For this purpose, the established medical procedures with respect to the patient must be followed with strict care.

By taking the necessary precautions, it is possible to deal with placental abruption, low oxygen levels in the fetus, pressure problems in the mother, among others.

4. For erroneous administration of anesthesia

The placement of anesthesia is a common procedure when performing an operation or medical study. But there are situations where medical malpractice arises, such as incorrect dosage, lack of patient evaluation, wrong anesthesia or omission of established procedures.

Finally, upon detecting that you were the victim of a bad procedure, you can sue the treating physician to request punishment or compensation with respect to your case.

Errors leading to medical malpractice

In order for a medical malpractice to originate, different medical errors must have occurred, such as:

  • Recklessness. It happens when the staff acts without considering the patient’s medical condition. Taking a careless, incoherent and non-judgmental attitude.
  • It is the situation where the health care provider omits medical attention to the patient or makes little effort on his part to alleviate the patient’s condition.
  • Incompetence. Situation where health personnel do not have sufficient experience to deal with a medical emergency.
  • Bypassing the rules. They occur when the treating physician does not abide by the procedures dictated on a patient to treat the disease he/she is suffering from.

Another error is the omission of important information to the patient regarding his or her health status. It is very important to avoid this so as not to generate feelings of anxiety in the individual, leading him/her to think that he/she is not receiving adequate care.

 

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