Any health care provider can be found guilty of medical malpractice if a patient is able to prove that the medical professional did not meet the standard of care deemed appropriate for their profession. A medical negligence lawsuit may be filed for several reasons, including prescription drug errors, surgical errors, birth injuries, diagnosis errors, unnecessary surgeries, or general medical malpractice.
Prescription Drug Errors
About 1.5 million people are injured annually by prescription drug errors. One of the more common types of medical malpractice, prescription errors often prove deadly. Common prescription drug errors include:
- Wrong medication
- Failure to reasonably foresee complications
- Illegible prescriptions
- Wrong dosage
- Defective or dangerous drugs
Doctors and physicians, healthcare or nursing staff, pharmacists, and marketers and manufacturers of the drugs themselves can all be found liable in prescription drug error claims.
Surgical Errors
The smallest mistake during an operation can result in injury. Common surgical errors include lacerations of an internal organ, uncontrollable blood loss, puncturing of an organ or foreign objects left inside the patient. Symptoms of surgical errors may not be noticeable until months after the procedure. Surgical errors can result in:
- Additional surgeries
- Damage to internal organs
- Immune system failure
- Infection
- Wrongful death
Birth Injuries
Any medical attention or healthcare provided by a medical professional during the birthing process that is considered below the acceptable standard of care can be considered medical malpractice. Some common birth injuries include:
- Erbs Palsy
- Cerebral Palsy
- Fractures
- Brain Damage
- Fetal Death
Diagnosis Errors
Correctly diagnosing a patient’s symptoms is absolutely necessary in determining proper treatment techniques. Sometimes, misdiagnosis results when symptoms are not completely apparent or obvious. Regardless of the circumstance, a misdiagnosis or late diagnosis can prove costly, and sometimes deadly, in potential treatment options. If a patient is not treated properly due to a diagnosis error, the medical professional may be held accountable for further injury. Some common illnesses that are misdiagnosed include:
- Failure to diagnose appendicitis
- Misdiagnosis of diabetes
- Failure to diagnose a stroke
- Failure to diagnose cancer
- Misdiagnosis of symptoms that eventually lead to a heart attack
- Failure to recognize a pulmonary embolism
- Failure to recognize meningitis
Unnecessary Surgeries
An unnecessary surgery is usually the result of misdiagnosis. Some of the most common unnecessary surgical procedures include:
- Hysterectomy
- Coronary Bypass Surgery
- Cesarean Section
- Pacemaker Implants
Contact an Oklahoma Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If you believe that you or a loved one has been a victim of medical negligence, it is important to have an experienced medical malpractice attorney by your side. At the Edwards Law Firm, our Tulsa medical injury lawyers are experienced in successfully preparing and presenting the facts of medical malpractice claims. This is necessary in order to prove negligence. For immediate assistance with your Oklahoma medical malpractice claim, fill out our online contact form. A member of our team will review your case and help guide you on your next course of action. Contact us today for a free and confidential case evaluation to discuss your legal options.
