Types of medical malpractice

Types of medical malpractice: Medical malpractice may involve numerous medical areas. Although the common lay perception of medical malpractice may be that it relates mainly to surgical errors, there are numerous possible interactions with medical professionals, hospitals, and other medical institutions that may give rise to medical malpractice, wrongful death, or personal injury law. Some of the possibilities include:

• Misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis - Some of the highest payouts in medical malpractice related to diagnostic errors in serious conditions such as heart attack, breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and appendicitis.
• Surgical errors
• Anesthetic errors - In surgery, the anesthetic is one of the most dangerous aspects, often more dangerous than the knife.
• Medication errors
• Adverse reactions (to drugs or procedures) and drug interactions
• Wrong treatments
• Medical procedure errors
• ... and many more.

Not all medical errors, misdiagnosis, surgical complications, adverse reactions, or any of the above examples are necessarily medical malpractice, because there is always inherent risk in any medical treatment or procedure. Not even all medical errors are necessarily medical malpractice. Consult an attorney or professional legal adviser for details.

Related Medical Malpractice Statistics

• Medical malpractice statistics for misdiagnosis and other diagnostic errors:
  • Majority of malpractice cases involve misdiagnoses, diagnostic errors or delayed diagnosis (When Good Doctors Get Sued, 2001)
  • 51.7% of ER-related malpractice lawsuits in a study involved misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or failure to diagnose (Suing for Medical Malpractice, Sloan et al, 1993)
  • 1.7% of ER-related malpractice lawsuits in a study involved delayed diagnosis (Suing for Medical Malpractice, Sloan et al, 1993)
  • 20% of ER-related malpractice lawsuits in a study involved failure to diagnose with no diagnosis (Suing for Medical Malpractice, Sloan et al, 1993)
  • 30% of ER-related malpractice lawsuits in a study involved misdiagnosis (wrong diagnosis) (Suing for Medical Malpractice, Sloan et al, 1993)
  • 30% of the dollars for ER medical malpractice lawsuits involve heart attack (Suing for Medical Malpractice, Sloan et al, 1993)

Related Medical Malpractice Articles

• Most litigated diseases in medical malpractice
• Procedures in medical malpractice
• Specialties and medical malpractice

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Disclaimer on Medical-Legal Issues

Always seek professional legal advice from an attorney or other qualified legal professional about medical malpractice, wrongful death, personal injury, or any other legal issue. The medical/legal information provided here is of a general nature only, and is not a substitute for professional medical or legal advice.

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