Medical practitioners are some of the most trusted and respected members of society. They are instrumental in preserving lives, especially during pandemics, wars, or environmental crises. Adults respect them, and children look up to them. That’s why medical malpractice is more than a crime; it’s a betrayal of trust.
Medical malpractice can cause patients to go into debt and in the worst cases, lead to fatalities. Unfortunately, these cases are common in the medical field and can be difficult to prove. As a result, identifying them is crucial in curbing them.
Here’s what you need to know about medical malpractice cases, how to identify and possibly prove them.
1. Misdiagnosis
Perhaps the most common case of malpractice is misdiagnosis. This occurs when a doctor fails to determine or identify the medical concern of the patient and the cause.
When a doctor finds it difficult to properly diagnose a patient, the treatment approach or prescriptions will likely be flawed. This puts the patient in a dangerous position, as having the wrong treatment can harm their well-being. It can also make them spend more than they should on tests and prescription medicine without any positive results.
Fortunately, you have a high chance of proving and winning this case with the help of a medical malpractice lawyer. However, you must hire a local lawyer, as they are well-versed with local laws and are easily accessible. For instance, if you live in Atlanta, hire an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer.
Moving on, misdiagnosis may be due to incompetence. For example, it may occur when an inexperienced doctor handles a unique case. Misdiagnosis may also come from negligence, where a doctor prioritizes other patients or personal commitments.
2. Surgical Errors

Unfortunately, Surgical errors are some of the most common malpractice cases in the medical field. Over 51 million surgical procedures are performed yearly in the United States with varying success rates. When you add the likelihood of surgical errors, the success rate becomes incredibly low.
Surgical errors come in different forms. First, there’s the error of operating on the wrong body part. This can cause more harm than good. For instance, amputating the wrong limb would be a catastrophe as the patient would end up losing both.
Likewise, there have been many cases of surgeons leaving surgical instruments in the patients’ bodies after the procedure. These errors can cause internal bleeding, which can be fatal.
3. Operating without Consent
Although medical practitioners can offer advice, they can’t coerce, threaten, or bully patients into taking them. Thus, they only proceed with their medical plan or treatment with the patient’s consent. If the patient is incapacitated or a minor, their spouse, parent, or next of kin reserves the right to consent to the procedure.
Performing a medical treatment on a patient without their consent is a serious case of malpractice. For instance, some doctors have been accused of forcing pregnant women’s water to break prematurely to hasten the delivery process. Doctors not explaining the risks of a procedure explicitly before operating on a patient is also criminal.
Unfortunately, these cases may be difficult to prove, especially if there are no witnesses except the victim and the doctor.
4. Anesthesia Errors

Under normal conditions, every patient must be under anesthesia before surgery. This medication ensures that they lose consciousness and feel no pain.
When anesthesia errors occur, the anesthesiologist is typically responsible. Besides administering the drug, they also monitor the vital signs of the patient throughout the surgery. They ensure that the patient regains consciousness from the anesthetic after the operation.
Anesthesia errors may lead to neurological complications and are a major cause of medical error-related deaths.
5. Medication Error

Not all medical malpractice cases are deliberate. For example, erroneous prescriptions result from mistakes. This happens when a medical expert recommends medicine that isn’t suitable for a medical issue. For this reason, patients never recover from their illnesses after completing their dosage.
In cases where the prescription is accurate, the doctor may mistakenly prescribe the wrong dosage. It can have serious side effects. Taking more than the required dosage can lead to drug overdose which can be deadly.
Perhaps the most concerning case of medication error is wrong medicine administration. Nurses are also prone to this accident. Lack of concentration and miscommunication are the major reasons for this error. The side effects of administering the wrong pills or injections to a patient can be instant.
6. Premeditated Injury
Medical practitioners are legally and ethically obliged to serve and protect every individual needing medical attention to the best of their ability. This is why deliberately harming a patient is rare. However, it is possible for various reasons.
Medical experts are humans with emotions that can run wild in the heat of the moment, tempting them to harm a patient. To illustrate, criminals in custody have a right to medical treatment. Depending on the crime, a medical expert with a knack for social justice may inflict harm on the patient. These malpractice cases may be rare but can be easy to prove.
Bottomline
Medical errors are unfortunately common and are some of the leading causes of death in health centers. Incompetence, inadequate medical facilities, or miscommunication are some of the causes. Regrettably, the culprits may return to their normal lives while victims are scarred for the rest of theirs. For this reason, you must identify common medical malpractice cases to prove them.
Finally, you must become a part of many who have been able to prove medical malpractice thanks to legal support. Contact a medical malpractice lawyer near you if you or someone close are a victim.