Medical malpractice is a type of professional negligence that occurs when a medical professional fails to conduct himself or herself with the applicable standard of care. Simply put, the standard of care is the degree of care that the law expects a person with a duty to another person to exercise. Under Florida law, the standard of care that applies to medical professional is the “level of care, skill, and treatment which, in light of all relevant surrounding circumstances, is recognized as acceptable and appropriate by reasonably prudent similar health care providers.”
Medical malpractice occurs every day across the country, in places like doctor’s offices, clinics, hospitals, emergency departments, and even in the school nurse’s office. When these instances of malpractice leave victims injured, they can often assert a legal claim against the negligent professional and/or against his or her employer. Some of the more common kinds of medical malpractice are discussed below.
Failure to diagnose – Failure to diagnose claims arise when a physician fails to identify a patient’s illness or injury, and that failure results in further physical or emotional injury. In many cases, the earlier a disease or injury is identified and treated, the better the prognosis for the patient. As a result, failure to diagnose cases can result in significant recovery for patients.
Surgical errors – Surgical errors are usually of the type that should never occur. These kinds of errors include surgery on the wrong body part, on the wrong patient, leaving surgical instruments inside of a patient’s incision, or technical errors that occur when performing the procedure.
Medication errors – Medication errors are a particularly dangerous type of medical malpractice that can have a significant effect on a patient’s well-being. They can occur when a patient is given the wrong medication, the wrong dosage of the right medication, a medication to which he or she is allergic, or a medication that contraindicates another medication that the physician or other medical professional had reason to know that the patient was currently taking.
Birthing errors – Errors that occur during the birthing process are particularly dangerous as they have the potential to affect the newborn for the rest of his or her life as well as the health of the mother. In many cases, these errors involve the improper use of surgical instruments such as forceps or excessive manual force. In some cases, these errors have the potential to lead to serious complications such as caput succedaneum or Erb’s palsy.
Contact an Ocala Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today to Schedule a Free Consultation
If you believe that you have been injured by the negligence of a medical professional, you should obtain legal representation as soon as possible. Because of the complicated medical and legal issues that often arise in medical malpractice cases, it is important for victims to retain an lawyer familiar with the medical malpractice law. In many cases, you may be entitled to significant compensation under Florida law. Ocala medical malpractice lawyer John Piccin has been protecting the legal rights of people injured by the negligence of others for over 40 years. To schedule a free consultation with Mr. Piccin, call our office today at 352-558-8480.