People who seek treatment in a hospital or at a doctor’s office expect to receive competent care by attentive and well-trained professionals. Sometimes, healthcare providers fall short of those expectations and harm patients.
Errors in diagnosis, improper care, and surgical mistakes can have devastating consequences. A patient may fail to receive necessary treatment, may receive care that is not needed, or may suffer debilitating pain, organ damage, and other complications because of a physician’s error.
If you experienced harm after seeking healthcare treatment, an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help. Ben Crump Law, PLLC, has represented people who suffered because of the negligence of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. We may be able to file a lawsuit on your behalf to seek compensation for your losses. Call our office at (800) 235-0444 to speak with a member of our team.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Healthcare providers are expected to meet a standard of care. They should provide appropriate treatment that is consistent with the type of care another physician with similar training would provide in similar circumstances.
Not every negative medical outcome is evidence of malpractice, but in some cases, a healthcare provider fails to meet the standard of care. In those instances, a patient may be a victim of medical malpractice and may be able to recover compensation under Georgia Code § 51-1-27.
For a free legal consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer serving Atlanta, call 800-959-1444
Types of Medical Malpractice
Many mistakes can be described as medical malpractice. These are some of the most common sources of injuries that patients experience when seeking healthcare.
Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis
When a person has a serious medical condition, receiving an accurate and timely diagnosis is critical. A patient who receives the correct diagnosis can begin to undergo treatment that may stop or slow the progression of the condition. In many cases, prompt treatment saves lives.
A delay in treatment, on the other hand, may allow a condition to progress. For example, cancer may metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body, which can make it much more difficult to treat.
If a doctor diagnoses a condition that a patient does not in fact have, the person may spend time and money on unnecessary and ineffective treatment. In the meantime, the illness that the person actually has can progress. By the time the patient receives an accurate diagnosis, there may be little or no hope of recovery.
A doctor who does not order appropriate tests or who interprets the results incorrectly may be liable for malpractice. In some cases, an error occurs in a laboratory.
For instance, a technician may perform a procedure incorrectly, equipment may be contaminated, or samples or results may get mixed up. That can cause a patient to receive an inaccurate test result or to receive results that were meant for another person.
Surgical Errors
Many things can go wrong when a patient undergoes surgery. A surgeon may perform the wrong procedure or may operate on the wrong body part. An anesthesiologist may administer the wrong amount of anesthesia or may not appropriately monitor the patient’s condition during surgery.
A physician may make an incision in the wrong place or cut too deep and cause permanent neurological damage. A surgeon may leave an object, such as a tool or a sponge, inside the patient’s body after the surgery, which may cause an infection or other complications.
Medication Errors
A doctor may prescribe a drug that is not appropriate for a patient’s condition, that a patient is allergic to, or that can cause a dangerous interaction with another medication the person is already taking. A pharmacist may give a patient the wrong medication or the wrong dosage. A nurse in a hospital may administer the wrong drug or the wrong amount or may give it to a patient in the wrong manner or at the wrong time. Any of those errors may have devastating consequences.
Birth Injuries
The care that a mother receives during pregnancy and around the time of childbirth is critical to her health and that of her baby. If a doctor does not perform routine tests during pregnancy and detect a problem, that can lead to complications during delivery that may endanger the health and the life of both patients.
If a physician does not recognize signs of a problem, such as a drop in blood pressure or inadequate oxygen to the baby, during labor, the lives of the mother and child may be endangered. If the baby survives, it may suffer from permanent neurological damage or other long-term health issues.
Atlanta Medical Malpractice Lawyer Near Me 800-959-1444
How an Atlanta Medical Malpractice Lawyer May Be Able to Help Your Family
The team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, can investigate to figure out how you were injured and who was responsible. We can review your medical records to learn why you sought medical help, what types of tests the doctor performed or ordered, and what the results were. If you received an inaccurate diagnosis, we can conduct further research to find out whether the doctor misinterpreted your test results or whether the facility that performed the analysis made a mistake.
If you were hurt during surgery, we can figure out what went wrong. We can investigate to learn whether you were injured because of a breakdown in communication, a lapse in judgment, carelessness, or for another reason.
If you were harmed by a medication error, we can check your records to find out whether the drug you were prescribed was appropriate. If not, the doctor who wrote the prescription may be liable for medical malpractice. If the drug was appropriate but someone else, such as a pharmacist or a nurse, made a mistake when administering the medication, that party may be liable for your injuries.
If you or your baby experienced harm around the time of delivery, we can find out who was responsible. We may discover that the doctor who delivered your baby made a mistake or failed to notice a problem and take appropriate action.
Click to contact our Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers today
Learn How an Atlanta Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Help
Under Georgia Code § 9-3-71, the statute of limitations to file a medical malpractice lawsuit is two years in most cases. Call the office of Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today at (800) 235-0444 so we can get to work as soon as possible.
Call or text 800-959-1444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
