Medical malpractice occurs when health care professionals fail to meet the accepted standard of care because of a mistake or negligence. Examples of this include surgeons performing procedures on the wrong organs or body parts, or failing to remove surgical items and...
You may think that never events only happen in stories or television shows, but they also occur in real life. Medical providers can neglect the standard of care and cause a never event to happen. Understanding what this is and its consequences is crucial to holding...
A doctor should provide their patient with a reasonable standard of care. This includes referring them to a specialist when the patient’s condition requires specialized knowledge, skills and equipment. For example, when a doctor cannot definitively diagnose a...
Hospital hygiene plays a crucial role in protecting patients from harm. When hygiene practices fall short, the consequences can be serious. Infections can spread, recoveries may be delayed and in some cases, patients can suffer long-term injury or even death. Are...
If you suffered harm due to a doctor’s or healthcare provider’s negligence and are thinking about filing a medical malpractice claim, the clock is ticking. You have a legal deadline to file a lawsuit, known as the statute of limitations. Missing it could mean walking...
Hospital-acquired infections occur when patients contract infections during their hospital stay that weren't present when they were admitted. These infections typically develop at least 48 hours after hospitalization and affect about 4% of those hospitalized. For...
One of the most extreme examples of medical malpractice is a surgical mistake, such as wrong-site surgery. This type of error can change a person’s life forever. For instance, if a patient undergoes surgery to have their left arm amputated due to a severe infection,...
Distraction is most often mentioned concerning school children and drivers. Distracted schoolkids are not normally a safety issue, but for doctors, as with drivers, failing to stay focused could put people’s lives at risk. How do doctors get distracted? To some...
A heart attack misdiagnosis can certainly be a fatal mistake by a doctor. Say that a loved one goes to the emergency room and says they’re having a heart attack, but the doctor thinks that they are just having a panic attack or experiencing stress, so the doctor tells...
Parents naturally want to protect their children from harm, but when it comes to medical care, they often have no choice but to rely on healthcare professionals to provide safe and competent treatment. Unfortunately, medical malpractice can affect children,...