Common Orange County Medical Malpractice Claims
Medical malpractice claims can arise out of any medical procedure or doctor’s appointment. However, you run a higher risk of suffering a medical malpractice injury when you undergo certain types of treatment. Learn more about types of medical malpractice claims below.
Anesthesia Errors
Putting a patient under anesthesia is a risky endeavor. Administering anesthesia can cause serious injuries, such death, cardiac arrest, or damage to the nerves, organs, teeth, or the brain. Common anesthesia-related medical errors involve:
- Failing to identify potential risk factors in a patient’s medical history
- Inadequately explaining pre-anesthesia requirements
- Giving too much or too little anesthesia to a patient
- Failing to properly monitor a patient’s vital signs
- Improperly intubating a patient
- Using defective or dangerous equipment
And, while most malpractice cases involve surgical anesthesia, medical negligence can also occur when administering anesthesia as part of a pain management program or other procedures.
Childbirth Injuries
While most people associate childbirth-related with cerebral palsy and brain injuries, a medical provider’s negligence can cause many different injuries (including broken bones, hemorrhages, and death). For example, an OB-GYN’s negligence might involve the following:
- Inadequate prenatal care, such as failing to identify medical conditions that put the child and mother at risk (including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or Rh incompatibility)
- Failing to identify a child’s birth defects or mother’s medical conditions
- Failing to monitor the mother and child’s vital signs and ignoring signs of fetal distress
- Failure to identify complications due to the child’s position, size, or other factors
- Not performing a c-section when medically necessary
- Improperly using labor and delivery tools such as a vacuum extractor
- Ignoring a mother’s complaints that suggest infection or other serious postpartum injuries
It’s important to understand that not every childbirth complication involves medical malpractice. However, it’s typically in your best interest to consult with a med mal lawyer if you or your child suffer serious injuries during a pregnancy, labor, or delivery.
Medical Neglect
In addition to errors, medical malpractice can result from neglect. If you or a loved one were injured because a doctor or nursing team failed to monitor your condition, you might have a medical malpractice claim. While most people associated neglect with nursing home facilities, it can also occur in hospitals and home health programs.
Medication Errors
Medication errors are remarkably common. They might involve:
- Doctors prescribing the wrong medication or dosage for your needs,
- Pharmacists and nurses delivering the incorrect medication,
- Machines, such as IVs, malfunction and you receive too much or too little of a medication, or
- Medical providers giving you medications that interact to cause dangerous side effects,
While some medication errors cause little to no damage, others are catastrophic. If you or a loved one suffered serious or disabling injuries due to a medication error, contact an Orange County medical malpractice lawyer immediately.
Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis
We probably answer more questions about misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis than any other medical malpractice issue. Frequently, people are concerned that their doctors ignored their medical signs and symptoms – resulting in delayed treatment, decreased chance or survival, or undue pain and suffering.
However, misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis claims involve careful analysis and technical knowledge. Your lawyer must show that a competent doctor in the same field or specialty wouldn’t have missed the diagnosis. This typically requires expert testimony – and you should expect a fight from the insurance company. Due to these level of complexity, most injured patients should work with a medical malpractice lawyer when pursuing a misdiagnosis claim.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are as diverse as the types of operations available in the United States. Before a surgery, your doctor might miss signs that you are at risk of surgical complications. Or, you might experience injuries during the surgery itself, such as:
- Punctures of organs and tissues
- Leaving instruments in your body
- Improperly attaching medical devices or hardware
- Operating on the incorrect body part
- Performing surgery when it isn’t medically necessary or advisable
- Failing to monitor the patient’s vital signs during the surgery and post-op
- Missing warning signs that the patient has surgical complications, such as an infection
If you’re concerned about surgical malpractice, you should contact a personal injury lawyer. Sometimes, doctors minimize their mistakes, trying to avoid liability. However, a medical malpractice lawyer can review your records and consult with medical experts – potentially uncovering serious errors.
Schedule an Evaluation and Learn More About Medical Malpractice
At Russell & Lazarus, we represent injured patients in a wide variety of medical malpractice claims. We carefully analyze medical records, consult with experts, and guide our clients through the complicated process of litigating a med mal claim. If you believe you are a victim of medical malpractice, contact us today – California imposes strict filing deadlines in these cases.