Fact Sheet About Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to exercise the proper degree of care necessary when treating a patient, resulting in patient harm. Sadly, medical malpractice is very common in Clifton and the rest of the United States, affecting hundreds of people every single year. Consider the following facts about medical malpractice:
- One percent of physicians are responsible for nearly one-third of all medical malpractice claims in the United States, according to MedlinePlus;
- It is estimated that a surgeon in the United States leaves a foreign object within a patient 39 times per week, and operates on wrong body site an average of 20 times per week, according to John Hopkins Medicine; and
- In one survey conducted by Medscape, 59 percent of respondents (medical professionals) have been named in at least one medical malpractice suit.
The numbers above are unacceptable. If you are a victim of medical malpractice in Clifton, a medical malpractice attorney can represent you during your claim for damages.
Common Types of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice varies in type and severity, and also in the harm that it causes. Some of the most common types of medical malpractice include:
Failure to diagnose.
Failing to diagnose a condition is a very common form of medical malpractice, and can cause serious patient harm; namely, the spread of disease or worsening of a condition. Failure to diagnose may occur as a result of a physician’s failure to order the correct diagnostic tests, or to correctly interpret test results.
Failure to treat.
Often going hand-in-hand with failure to diagnose, failure to treat may occur because a physician fails to exercise the degree of care that the patient demands, fails to recommend the patient to a specialist, or recommends an incorrect treatment path.
Medication mistakes.
This is a broad category, and may include medication administration errors, prescribing errors, mixing up medications, dosage errors, or failing to prescribe a patient a medication that they very much need.
Surgical errors.
As stated above, the prevalence of certain surgical errors – such as wrong-site surgeries and leaving a foreign object within a patient – are incredibly high. In addition to these surgical errors, instances of anesthesia errors, failure to monitor after surgery and surgical procedures on the wrong patient occur too frequently.
Lack of informed consent.
Failing to acquire a patient’s consent prior to treating them may be an act of medical malpractice in the event that the treatment has any adverse reaction; a patient has the right to know for what they are being treated for and any repercussions that that treatment may have.
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The Clifton medical malpractice attorneys at the law firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. have more than four decades worth of experience representing medical malpractice victims and can help you to understand your rights when malpractice causes you harm. Contact Our Law Firm to Handle Your Medical Malpractice Case Today.
Investigating Medical Malpractice Requires Resources
How the malpractice occurs and who should be held liable in a medical malpractice case is not always clear. Instead, there are often multiple parties who play a role in the occurrence of the malpractice and may be partially liable. Further, vicarious liability – where an employer is responsible for the actions of its employees (i.e. a hospital being liable for malpractice of its staff) may also apply. In order to properly investigate the cause and degree of your injuries and against whom a lawsuit should be filed, you need a law firm on your side who has the right resources, financial and otherwise.
In a medical malpractice case, medical experts are often the most important witnesses needed to substantiate a malpractice claim. In addition, eyewitnesses to the malpractice may also need to be called upon. If the malpractice was caused by institutional failure (such as a negligent policy or procedure), researchers and analysts may need to pursue a claim.
All evidence that is acquired will need to be carefully handled and preserved, organized and presented in order to substantiate your claim. Legal experts, paralegals, and legal secretaries will all be essential for this.
At the law firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., our medical malpractice attorneys have the finances and connections necessary to conduct the investigation that your case deserves.
Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. offers a FREE CONSULTATION.
Contact us today to discuss how we can helpRed Bank
127 Maple Avenue
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: (732) 747-9003
Fax: (215) 567-6019
Over 40 Years of Outstanding Results and Hundreds of Millions Recover for Our Clients
Our four decades of experience representing victims of medical malpractice has allowed us to refine our skills and build a reputation of success. To be sure, we are nationally recognized as one of the best law firms in the country by U.S. News and World Report, Avvo, SuperLawyers, and more. Some of our most notable medical malpractice cases include:
$7 Million
Recovering more than $7 million on the behalf of a newborn and their family when medical negligence caused cerebral palsy;
$14.5 million
$14.5 million recovery for a child that sustained brain damage due to a physician’s substandard post-operative care.
$3 million
Recovering more than $3 million when the improper administration of anesthesia led to a patient’s blindness; and
$3 million
Recovering $3 million when the lack of a proper diagnosis caused a young women to have a stroke.
While results in prior cases do not guarantee similar results in your case the following listing of recent case victories should hopefully provide you with the assurance that we are experienced and know how to get you the compensation you deserve.
