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The Most Common Injuries from Medical Malpractice

We trust our doctors to make the right decisions that will prevent or treat our illnesses. Doctors are humans, though, and humans sometimes make mistakes. Medical errors can have serious and long-lasting consequences and sadly, they are all too common. These errors represent the third leading cause of death in the United States[1]. Additionally, approximately 400,000 hospitalized patients per year are victims of medical errors, which costs the healthcare system upwards of $20 billion annually[2]. Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other healthcare provider makes an error that another professional in the same field would not have made.

One of the most common types of medical malpractice is when a healthcare professional misdiagnoses or fails to diagnose a medical condition. Some of the reasons this could happen are:

• Failure to recognize the symptoms of the condition
• Ordering the wrong diagnostic tests or misinterpreting them
• Trying to diagnose and treat a condition outside of that provider’s scope of expertise rather than referring the patient to a specialist

Another common form of medical malpractice is when a provider fails to treat the patient’s condition, even if they properly diagnosed it. This can happen if a provider:

• Doesn’t adequately monitor the patient
• Doesn’t promptly treat the condition
• Releases a patient from the hospital too early
• Fails to take a full medical history of the patient

Prescription drug errors are also a common medical malpractice claim. These errors often occur when:

• A healthcare provider prescribes the wrong drug or the wrong dosage of the correct drug.
• A pharmacist incorrectly fills a prescription.
• The provider or pharmacist doesn’t consider interactions with other medications the patient is already taking.
• The provider or pharmacist doesn’t warn the patient about potential drug side effects.

Patients can be the victim of many other types of medical malpractice as well, such as childbirth errors, surgical errors, anesthesia errors, equipment failures, hospital-acquired infections, and pressure ulcers, just to name a few.

Victims of medical malpractice in Boca Raton and South Florida are eligible to collect compensation for medical bills, prescription costs, in-home healthcare aides, rehabilitation, assistive devices, lost wages and future lost wages. They are also eligible for noneconomic costs, such as pain and suffering, loss of companionship, and wrongful death.

Medical malpractice claims are complex and can be difficult to prove, so you need a personal injury attorney who is experienced in winning medical malpractice suits in Palm Beach County, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami, like ECanter Lawyers. Contact us as soon as you suspect you have experienced medical malpractice so we can begin to investigate your situation. We will fight for you to receive the compensation you deserve.

ECanter Lawyers

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For a quarter of a century, ECanter Lawyers has remained committed to honest, straightforward answers.  Named one of AVVO’s Clients’ Choice, ECanter Lawyers has helped clients receive multi-million-dollar verdicts, and millions of dollars in settlements.  ECanter Lawyers specializes in personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, premises and product liability, and healthcare law.

With offices conveniently located throughout South Florida and 24/7 services, ECanter Lawyers personal injury law firm offers you the personalized attention that you need in order to maximize your compensation. 

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[1] National Library of Medicine. Medical Error Reduction and Prevention – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov). Accessed October 7, 2024.

[2] National Library of Medicine. Medical Error Reduction and Prevention – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov). Accessed October 7, 2024.