Doctors are an important factor for our well being. When we are ill, they are a resource to turn to for care. In an ideal world, a doctor diagnoses exactly what is wrong in a minimally invasive way and is able to prescribe medicine to resolve the problem quickly. Doctors do not always get it right the first time but as long as the medical care is reasonable, and you start feeling better, there is usually no harm. However, if you have a sinking feeling that your doctor has been negligent with your care, you may have cause for medical malpractice.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice can apply to anyone in the medical field, such as doctors, surgeons, and nurses, or a location such as a hospital or private practice. When these people and institutions do not live up to medical standards, and a patient gets injured, suffers, or dies because inadequate care, that patient or their surviving family may be eligible for compensation.

In order for a medical malpractice lawsuit to be considered, certain criteria must be met. Health care professionals are required to adhere to standards of care. If those standards are not met, they can be found negligent, which is an important factor to move in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Once negligence is established, suffering because of that negligence must also be proved.

People visit the doctor to feel better but, after heart disease and cancer, medical errors are the third leading cause of death for people living in the United States. It is estimated by John Hopkins University that over 250,000 people die from medical errors a year and that billions of dollars are spent paying out victims or their families. That is approximately 10 deaths a day caused by the negligence of a doctor or hospital.

What Is Medical Malpractice

When a doctor deviates from a standard level or care, it is considered malpractice. It is compared to what a reasonable medical professional would have done in a similar situation, that would have done right by the patient. The key to medical malpractice is proving negligence.

With such a high percentage of deaths due to medical malpractice, it is good to keep an open mind when seeking medical care. When visiting your doctor, keep a lookout for these most common medical malpractices.

Like any professional, you trust that doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other healthcare professionals will do the right thing on behalf of your health and wellness. With years of training, we expect a high level of expertise and dedication in the field of medicine. Sadly, when doctors make mistakes or are negligent, it is the patient and their loved ones that suffer because of medical malpractice - and they must often fight just to obtain the compensation that they deserve. 

Medical malpractice is when a health care provider strays from professional standards. Any health professional, institution, or service can be faced with malpractice on the grounds that the minimum standard of medical care was not reasonably fulfilled.

Medical errors take up to 160,000 lives a year, according to Johns Hopkins University. Many people are afraid to come forward when something does not feel right with the medical care they are receiving. It is difficult to prove medical malpractice, and unfortunately, errors in the medical world do not usually reach the light until they are brought to trial.

Most practitioners experience at least one medical malpractice lawsuit during their career. Obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYN) and surgeons are the most commonly sued in the medical world. In fact, according to a Medscape study, 85% of OB/GYN specialists have been sued.

What is Medical Malpractice?

When a healthcare professional or medical establishment causes harm to a patient because of negligence, this is medical malpractice. One-third of lawsuits related to an OB/GYN practice is the result of an injury during care. Examples of medical malpractice include:

• Misreading results,
• Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose,
• Surgical error,
• Unnecessary surgery, and
• Improper follow-up.

Obstetric and Gynecology Medical Malpractice Issues

OB/GYNs are unique in the way that they can be responsible for handling two patients at once, as obstetrics is the care of a woman throughout her pregnancy. An OB/GYN should ensure that mom and baby are doing well, and follow up on anything that can pose a risk to either. When it comes to an expecting mother, medical malpractice in an OB/GYN office may result in the injury or death of a mother, her child, or both.

One of the most important people in this world that you should be able to trust is your doctor--they often hold your life and well-being in their hands. Though doctors are held to a high standard, they are people too, and they can make mistakes, but they must be held accountable for any malpractice they commit.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor, hospital, or healthcare provider causes injury to a patient through negligence or breaching the “standard of care.” To legally be considered medical malpractice, a case must consist of three elements: