Medical malpractice is a term you probably hear a lot, but what exactly does it mean? Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or medical professional harms a patient by failing to adequately perform their duties or by deviating from the level of care owed. The harm does not have to be intentional in order to amount to medical malpractice. In fact, most of the time there is not bad intention on the part of the practitioner, and these lawsuits are not an indictment on their character, but merely a means of recovering for the harm that was caused by their negligence. Accidents happen, but it doesn’t mean they are without consequences.
Why Bring a Medical Malpractice Claim?
The consequences of medical malpractice can range from temporary complications to chronic pain or even death. If you are suffering due to the malpractice of a medical professional, you have options. While it’s not a crime for a doctor to make a mistake, they can still be held accountable for the harm caused in civil court. It’s unrealistic to think that doctors would never make a mistake, and they have malpractice insurance for that exact reason. A successful medical malpractice claim will allow you to recover all expenses incurred due to the harm caused by the negligence, including medical, hospitalization, and treatment expenses, lost wages, and loss of consortium, to name a few.
5 Things You Didn’t Know Were Medical Malpractice
- Issues with Prescription Medication. If your doctor made an error in prescribing you a drug (such as name, dosage, or failing to inform you about relevant side-effects), a nurse or another medical professional made an error in administering or failing to administer a drug, or a pharmacist made a material error in filling your prescription, you may have a medical malpractice claim. And yes, even pharmacist errors amount to medical malpractice if they cause harm to the patient. In fact, prescription medication errors are one of the most common causes of medical malpractice claims in Atlanta.
- Gastric Bypass and Cosmetic Surgery Complications. Atlanta has a booming cosmetic surgery industry, but many of the procedures are highly complicated and carry a great deal of risk for those undergoing them. These procedures, such as gastric bypass, require a higher standard of care for practitioners. While some side-effects are expected and perfect results cannot be guaranteed, if you have been harmed as a result of medical malpractice related to a gastric bypass or cosmetic surgery procedure, you have the right to pursue a medical malpractice claim.
- Doing Nothing. While most of the time we think about the actions that directly caused harm, in many cases, the failure of a doctor to take reasonable care which would have allowed them to diagnose an issue early on, results in much more severe harm or even death. Failure to diagnose and misdiagnosis are both grounds for medical malpractice.
What to do Next
If you or a loved one has been harmed as a result of a medical professional’s negligence, it’s important to act quickly, as Atlanta has a statute of limitations on medical malpractice claims. This means you have a limited amount of time to file your claim in court. Contact the Atlanta medical malpractice attorneys at the Durham Law Group today to schedule your free consultation.
