Medical malpractice is when a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other healthcare provider makes an error that results in injury to you as the patient or death for someone else on your behalf, your family members, for instance.
Medical malpractice is a significant problem in the U.S. Most medical care providers are not negligent, but those who are will face severe consequences if caught. We want to examine medical malpractice and how it can affect you as a patient or provider.
5 Examples of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
1. Failure to Diagnose Childhood Asthma
Childhood asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, affecting up to 7 million kids and teens in the United States. People with Asthma usually carry an inhaler with them, which they use before their symptoms become severe and require hospitalization or emergency care. In this case, a 10-year-old girl who had Asthma for two years was not correctly diagnosed. She died tragically from an asthma attack caused by improper treatment over these years.
2. Hospital Negligence
One man had a small lump on his arm and was examined by a doctor who suspected it was lymphoma. He urged him to get tested but left it untreated because he didn’t want further tests. He waged denial for two years until he couldn’t breathe or perform simple tasks anymore. He was taken to the ER and was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in his lymph nodes. It spread to his lungs, bones, spine, and brain. The doctor failed to diagnose him properly when he could have saved his life.
3. A White Coat Syndrome Lawsuit
A woman brought her child to the ER for a sore throat but was turned away with over-the-counter medication because she had no insurance. He woke up later in pain, and she brought him back again, but they sent her home again. Finally, after three visits, he was diagnosed with strep throat, which led to the rheumatic fever that resulted in his heart being damaged permanently.
4. Failure to Diagnose a Severe Case of Tetanus
A woman had a scratch on her arm that was left untreated for four days. It got infected, and she went to the hospital, which asked her if she could afford antibiotics. She couldn’t, so they sent her home, warning her that this could worsen. It did get worse: the wound became necrotic, and she was admitted to the hospital in a coma with severe brain damage. She is now in a nursing facility.
5. Inappropriate Medical Treatment of a Teenage Boy
A teenage boy came to the ER with a high fever, and after having blood work done, he was sent home. He started bleeding from his nose, and by the next day, he had lost his vision due to bleeding in his brain. He required surgery and a feeding tube, causing him severe brain damage. The surgeon needed to be disciplined because she had never operated on anyone so young before.
There are many cases of medical malpractice. Therefore, it would be impossible to list them all. Medical malpractice is a severe issue, and we must pay attention to all the cases to ensure our safety and that of others. Read more here about medical malpractice lawsuits. It would help if you considered filing a lawsuit when you have experienced a medical error for whatever reason.
