Top 10 Causes of Medical Malpractice Suits

Malpractice is the negligence or “failure” of a medical professional in rendering the proper diagnosis and treatment to their patient. This can result in serious injury and possibly even death of the patient being treated by the negligent physician. Listed below are the top ten causes of medical malpractice suits.

1. Anesthesia Mistakes

When administering anesthesia, extreme caution must be used during this sensitive procedure. An incorrect dosage can cause serious impairments or even death of the patient.

2. Birth Injuries

Complications during childbirth are commonly caused by undiagnosed abnormalities of the infant from improper testing during pregnancy, unrecognized symptoms of fetal distress during delivery and injury to the baby or the mother from unnecessary induced labor.

3. Defective Medical Products

Defective medical products, including medications being used in hospitals that are old and improperly tested are a common reason for malpractice suits.

4. Delayed Diagnosis

This occurs when the physician fails to diagnose symptoms in the early stages and allows an illness to progress, resulting in the delay of proper treatment.

5. Dental Errors

Dental malpractice suits can result from oral injuries sustained during office visits, infection from unsanitary equipment and the misdiagnosis of serious dental conditions, such as periodontal disease or oral cancer.

6. Failure To Diagnose

This occurs when a patient describes their symptoms to the physician and the health care provider fails to identify and treat the ailment.

7. Medication Errors

Prescribing the wrong medication or the incorrect dosage of medicine can have life threatening and even fatal results for the patient.

8. Misdiagnosis of An Illness

The misdiagnosis of a serious illness is often followed by improper medical treatment of the condition, which can lead to severe complications and even death of the patient.

9. Surgical Errors

Severe and fatal damage can occur during surgical procedures in the operating room, such as internal organs being punctured, improper surgical techniques being performed on the patient and accidentally leaving surgical instruments inside the patient.

10. Wrongful Death

When a patient dies because of a misdiagnosis or improper medical treatment, this is considered as wrongful death. A medical malpractice suit can either be filed against the whole hospital, a treatment team of health care providers or an individual physician.
The top ten medical malpractice suits listed above are only a few of the many types of negligent lawsuits found in the medical community. When negligence occurs, a lawyer specializing in medical malpractice should be consulted immediately by the patient or the family of the patient.